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Winter / Spring Issue
January 2014
No.7
05 It’s No Joke Campaign
The League launches a national awareness
campaign to protect the Hunting Act
06 Joe blogs
League CEO, Joe Duckworth, talks candidly
about animals, hunters and politics
18 If it flies it dies
BirdLife Malta Director, Steve Micklewright,
talks about the bird hunting crisis in Malta
The
League is 90
In the first of our special
editions we look back to
1924 – 1954, our first three
decades of campaigning
Page 10/11
Welcome
Contents
Welcome to your Spring edition of Protect.
Regulars
06 Joe blogs
08 News in brief
09 Operations update
12 Public Affairs update
14 Get active with the League Against Cruel Sports
As you’ll gather from reading the magazine , it’s going to be a
big year for the League. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of
the passing of the Hunting Act, the 12th for the Protection of
Wild Mammals Act, and the League will be celebrating our
90th birthday.
In the first of our special editions, pages 10 – 11, we look back
to 1924-1954, our first three decades of campaigning. The next
30 years will be covered in the Summer issue, and watch out
for our anniversary content on our website as the year unfolds.
If you’d like to help us celebrate our 90th anniversary, why not
join us at our Gala Ball on 1st May? See page 15 for details on
how to get your ticket, or even win a pair!
In those 90 years, securing bans on hunting with dogs in
England, Scotland and Wales were undoubtedly our proudest
moments. These were fantastic achievements for the League
and the animal welfare movement in general.
Some months ago I visited Madrid to campaign against plans
for the Spanish Government to award bullfighting a special
cultural status, which could potentially see public funding for
this horrendous activity increase and a repeal of the ban in
Catalonia, an update is on page 17. Attending a meeting with
several Spanish Government Ministers I presented the
League’s main contentions against bullfighting, expecting
some tough questions on my presentation, I was actually
met by congratulations to the League for securing the
Hunting Act. Later that day one minister said the Act was
“Possibly the most significant modern advancement in animal
welfare and a precedent for us all”. It was extremely poignant
to hear that the significance of the ban, and the League’s
contribution in securing it, are internationally recognised.
Yet, quite unbelievably, some blood sports enthusiasts are
still trying to see a return to hunting with dogs by repealing or
watering down the Hunting Act. You can read about one such
attack on pages 3 and 4. To make sure this can never happen,
the League continues to work hard with politicians to maintain
support for the ban. We also introduced our anti-hunting
campaign to a potential 5 million new supporters though
our ‘No Joke’ campaign fronted by Dave Spikey, page 05.
As ever, 2014 will be a busy year for the League, and we are
ready for it!
Thanks to your help and support, we’re ready to fight harder
than ever for increased protection for vulnerable animals
and to make sure those people who wish to cause them
harm are punished.
Rebecca
Editor / Head of Campaigns
Editorial Board:
Peter Anderson
Di Lamont
Andrew Nightingale
Dawn Varley
90th Anniversary Researcher –
Mark Stratton
Features
03 Attempts on the Hunting Act
05 It’s No Joke Campaign
05 The story of Red
16 Achievements from 2013
17 Spain’s image tarnished as politicians vote to
protect bullfighting
18 If it flies it dies – Bird Hunting on Malta
19 League competitions and raffles
www.league.uk
03
Attempts on the Hunting Act
Christina Bengston is
the League’s Senior
Research and Policy
Officer and discusses
the threats to the
Hunting Act.
As the Coalition Government approaches
its final year of power before the next
election, the pro-hunt lobby are getting
flustered by the distinct lack of a free vote
on repeal of the Hunting Act, a vote which
was promised to them by the Conservative
Party early after polling day.
Countryside Alliance (CA) voters are clearly
feeling betrayed by the MPs that they and
the pro-hunt lobby group, Vote OK, helped
to elect. Recent news coming out of the CA
camp reveals that more and more CA Tory
voters are switching their allegiance to
UKIP in response to Cameron’s broken
promise on repeal.
dogs (instead of two as is permitted under
the Hunting Act) is used to flush a fox from
an area of cover to waiting guns.
The group are now openly campaigning
for a change to the legislation, with the
backing of several Welsh Members of
Parliament, to amend the exemption to
allow for a pack of dogs to be used. If this
change were made, it would make the law
extremely open to abuse, effectively a
backdoor route to repealing the Hunting Act,
which is no doubt the group’s intention.
We show how irrelevant the results of the
FWFP report are, and that the fundamental
were quick to debunk the ridiculous claims
“ We
in this report and also released a response paper
to expose the reality behind this call to amend
the Hunting Act, showing the report to be
nothing more than pro-hunting propaganda
Our figures show that if a vote was called
on repeal, the majority of MPs would vote
to retain the Hunting Act. However, the
threat to bring back hunting remains very
real, there are 50 MPs whose position is
currently undecided or unknown; if these
MPs vote to repeal, while there would still
be a majority against, it could make the
vote uncomfortably tight.
In October a previously unknown group
called the Federation of Welsh Farmers Pack
(FWFP) released a report in which they claim
that more foxes could be shot if a pack of
”
assumptions underpinning it are seriously
flawed. The rural myths so frequently
peddled by the pro-hunt lobby on the need
for fox control have, in some cases, been
blindly accepted by the media, yet all
empirical evidence demonstrates that they
simply are not true. In fact, our report
shows the exact opposite to be true.
Pro-hunters often claim that fox numbers
have increased since the Hunting Act.
Continued on next page
Spring 2014
04
Feature continued
In the largest scale survey of fox numbers
(conducted in 2000), the rural fox population
was estimated at 225,000 adults 1. Following
the year long ban on hunting during the
foot and mouth outbreak (2001-2002) a
repeat survey found that there had been no
significant change in population numbers
and in fact their numbers had actually gone
down slightly. These results are echoed by
many conservation organisations who
conduct annual mammal surveys which
have also shown that fox numbers have
remained stable since the ban.
Landowners wishing to participate in hunting
often claim that fox predation has a major
impact on farmers’ income. However, as
many League reports have repeatedly
pointed out, all the scientific evidence
indicates that fox predation accounts for
only a very small proportion of lamb losses
and has a negligible financial impact.
• You can read the whole report at:
www.league.org.uk/FWFP or contact
the office to order a hard copy.
• Please contact your MP and make
sure that they know your feelings
on repeal of the Hunting Act
www.league.org.uk/NoJokeContactMP
Defra do not even state fox predation as
one of the main causes of lamb loss and
their advice to farmers entirely focuses on
improving husbandry practices.
It is also difficult to accurately establish
whether a lamb has been killed by a fox,
or died due to natural causes and been
subsequently scavenged by a fox. Foxes
may therefore be blamed for killing a
lamb when in fact they have simply found
it dead or dying.
Claims that fox predation has any kind
of significant impact on farm incomes is
simply misleading and inaccurate.
Numerous studies have shown the
financial impacts of predation are low,
including one study 2 based on farmers’
self-reporting the number of animals taken,
which likely lead to overestimates. Costs
for housing lambing ewes indoors have
been calculated as a much cheaper
alternative than fox control.
The claims that killing foxes helps to reduce
fox numbers is also without any empirical
evidence and in fact can even achieve the
opposite effect. Hunting takes place during
the main fox dispersal period, resulting in
territories becoming vacant just as young
foxes are seeking them. This results in a
high turnover of young individuals but no
reduction on the population as a whole.
The call from the FWFP to widen the
exemption to allow a full pack of dogs to
flush foxes fundamentally fails when the
underlying logic is examined. The reasons
are so far removed from the reality of what
it claims to achieve that it can not be taken
seriously, and examination of the facts
supports that.
Pro-hunters are continuing to agitate and
attempt to pressure the Government into
amending the Act with reports about hunt
supporters turning to UKIP in frustration
and polling showing that 36 per cent of
swing voters would be more likely to vote
Conservative if the Government relaxes the
hunting ban. We have contacted the media,
public and politicians to inform them of the
spurious claims by the FWFP and will
continue to do so to ensure that the
Hunting Act is protected from those who
wish to see a return to cruelty.
1
2
Webbon, C.C., Baker, P.J. & Harris, S. (2004) Faecal density counts
for monitoring changes in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) numbers in
rural Britain. Journal of Applied Ecology, 41, 768-779.
Moberly, R.L., White, P.C.L., Webbon, C.C., Baker, P.J. & Harris, S.
(2004a). Modelling costs of fox predation and preventative
measures on sheep farms in Britain. Journal of Environmental
Management, 70: 129-143.
www.league.uk
05
It’s No Joke Campaign
In November 2013 the League
launched a national awareness
campaign featuring comedian
Dave Spikey, to highlight the
importance of the Hunting Act
in protecting wildlife.
Coalition Government’s continued promise
to hold a free vote on repeal during their
term in office.
Our ‘No Joke’ campaign centred around a
hard-hitting video narrated by Dave Spikey
showing pre-ban hunting footage to remind
the British public of the need to Keep
Cruelty History in light of current political
moves to weaken the Hunting Act, and the
Dave Spikey on lending his support to the
campaign said: “It is shocking to think
anyone would want to turn the clock back
to a time when chasing animals to
exhaustion and encouraging them to be
ripped apart by a pack of dogs for sport was
We have now potentially reached over five
million people with our ‘No Joke’ campaign
video, through YouTube, social media, and
in over 400 cinemas up and down the country.
© David Cronin
Although he had taken up residence on
League owned sanctuary land, and was
therefore safe whilst he stayed there, it was
feared that he could become the next victim
of the local Quantock Staghounds after
hunt supporters were heard saying that if
they couldn't find a stag to hunt on the hills,
they would come after him.
If you have access to the internet,
please share our video, and help spread
our campaign messages far and wide.
You can find our video here:
www.league.org.uk/NoJoke
The ‘No Joke’ campaign has been made
possible with the support of the Marchig
Animal Welfare Trust.
shouts commonly heard during a stag hunt
to scare Red off the sanctuary. On another
occasion, an out-of-control hunt hound
trespassed onto our land, scattering Red
and the other deer present. We became so
concerned that we even hired security
guards to protect Red and the sanctuary.
The Story
of Red
At the peak of the autumn stag hunting
season, we came to hear about Red, one
of the nine estimated adult red deer stags
left on the Quantock Hills, who took up
residence on our land during rutting season.
legal. If you, like me, believe this barbaric
practice should never be allowed again,
please support the League’s campaign to
Keep Cruelty History.”
The story of Red highlights the reality of
hunted animals, and in particular the
precarious situation that the red deer find
themselves in due to the lack of adult
breeding males – a situation the local hunts
make worse by continuing to hunt despite
the declining population figures.
Across the weeks, there were several
incidents where hunt supporters made
attempts to hunt and kill Red.
On one occasion, hunt supporters pulled up
beside the sanctuary using the types of
Tragically, on one occasion, hunt supporters
lined the boundary of our sanctuary in
order to prevent another stag being hunted
by the Quantock Staghounds from reaching
the safety of our land. Although we were
able to help protect Red throughout the
duration of the hunting season it became
very clear that not every stag was so lucky.
Red’s story attracted the attention of the
media locally and nationally. As a result he
became a symbol of the animals that suffer
prolonged and terrifying deaths as a result
of the hunts that are determined to
continue chasing and killing animals in the
name of sport.
You can read more about the story of
Red and his full diary here –
www.league.org.uk/red
06
Joe Blogs...
Animals, hunters
and politics
Spring 2014
Hunters and hoodies
People who hunt and kill animals with
dogs for fun don’t normally get on with
people who shoot animals for pleasure,
but at a recent meeting a fox hunting
apologist told an audience of shooters
that they should “hug a hunter”.
Why? Because illegal hunting and attacks
on the Hunting Act have kept the League
busy over the last 10 years and kept us
from taking on the shooting industry.
Hunters flout the law
There is an element of truth in this.
When I meet supporters their greatest
frustration is that hunters flout the law
and continue to hunt. When we reflect on
it, it is not surprising. The iconic Hunting
Act was necessary but not sufficient to
end hunting with dogs. In a very small
but obsessive group of people, hunting
with dogs was, and is, an ingrained
culture. They were going to carry on.
Hunting Act works
It needs strong enforcement, and
continuing popular cultural pressure,
as well as the Act, to drive out of our
communities this barbarism, and that is
what the League has been doing. The
Hunting Act is a highly successful piece
of wildlife welfare legislation with more
prosecutions than any similar Act.
www.league.uk
Polling figures: Full Results
60
100
90
50
80
The arguments they use have no intellectual
integrity, relying on spurious class war
arguments, or moral authority, like fox
hunting is less cruel than snaring a fox (they
could equally reach the same conclusion as
us and call for the banning of snares!).
They say they are more popular than ever.
This is based on a survey of their members.
It’s a bit like bankers asking themselves if
20 12
2011
20 10
2009
2008
2007
2006
0
2005
What about politicians?
At a time when the issue stirred up even
more emotion than today, the House of
Commons passed the Hunting Act in 2004.
Good on them. The rump of cultural cruelty
in our countryside, represented by the
Countryside Alliance, has been fighting a
losing battle to get the Act repealed ever since.
10
they are honest! The fact is that the number
of hunts is declining, the number of hunting
days decreasing, and attendance is dropping
- driving many of them into financial difficulty.
The majority of MPs will vote to keep the
Hunting Act. This number has gone up as
we have continued to lobby in Parliament
day by day. Although there is a promise of a
vote on repeal this Parliament it would be
political suicide for the Government to hold
one. If they call one, we are ready and we
will win.
The 2015 election
The election is looming. Will any party
promise to repeal the Hunting Act if they
win the election? They will lose support if
they do.
Our latest poll also tested how a
parliamentary candidate’s stance on
hunting with dogs would affect perceptions
of that candidate. The poll showed that
59% of people would view a candidate
more favourably at the next general
election if the candidate supported keeping
the bans on hunting with dogs and most
said “much more” favourably. This did not
differ between town and country. Whether
people voted Conservative, Labour or
Liberal Democrat perceptions were much
more favourable if the candidate’s stance
was to support the ban on hunting with dogs.
What next?
We will never ease up on the Hunting Act.
We will continue to expose illegal hunting
and campaign against repeal. We are ready
whatever happens.
© whiskymac
In 2014, the 10th anniversary of the Hunting
Act being passed and the 90th birthday of
the League, we will continue to invest more
in our investigations and prosecutions,
including trebling our resources in Northern
30
20
Deer Hunting
20
This is not a bunch of townies telling country
folk what to do. The same proportion of
rural dwellers as urban folk want to see fox
hunting remain banned – 8 out of 10.
40
Fox Hunting
50
30
Dog Fighting
60
Badger Baiting
70
40
10
0
Yes: Should be
made legal again
No: Should not be
made legal again
Don’t know
Ireland (where hunting deer and foxes with
dogs is still legal) and in Scotland where
there have been far fewer prosecutions for
hunting with dogs. We will also double our
campaigning resources in Wales.
More British mammals are harmed in the
name of conservation, farming and
business than for sport. We will be growing
our campaigning in this area, for example
our campaigns against the badger cull
and the use of snares.
The animals most targeted in the name
of sport are birds, with 50 million cage
reared pheasant and partridges released
each year for pleasure shooting and up to
200 million migrating birds killed for sport
each year across southern Europe. 2014
will see League campaigns in this area
increase greatly.
Next year we will also be launching new
campaigns on greyhound and racing horse
welfare and more investigations into dog
and cock fighting, as well as pressing to
end subsidies to bullfighting. None of which
would be possible without your support and
commitment to our important campaigns.
Let’s have a vote now
2014 will see all our campaigning increase.
Could we do more if the hunters accepted
the Hunting Act was here to stay? Yes we
could, a bit.
The main thing is hunters need to drop their
forlorn hope that the Hunting Act will be
repealed and instead convert to a lawful sport,
such as drag hunting. Perhaps we should
call for a vote on repeal now and defeat it.
Then hunters would have to move on or be
caught as cruel criminals. Bring it on!
Follow Joe @LeagueJoe
Ipsos MORI (2013) Hunting Poll. www.league.org.uk/Poll
Prosecutions under the Hunting Act
Figures from the Ministry of Justice
Most people agree with us
We campaign to keep in people’s minds the
horror and cruelty of hunting with dogs.
Our latest polling from Ipsos MORI shows
how effective it has been. In November 2013,
8 out of 10 people in Great Britain (80%)
thought that fox hunting should not be
made legal again, 85% think deer hunting
should remain illegal, and 87% think hare
hunting and coursing should remain illegal.
Hare Hunting & Coursing
07
Spring 2014
08
News in Brief
PROTECT
As a campaigning organisation, getting our messages about
cruel sports out there is key. As ever, Boxing Day was a busy
media day for us, and we got some great coverage, but, we’ve also
been featured in the national media on a whole range of our campaigns
in the last few months. Here’s just a small selection of our coverage:
8 in 10 call on Cam
to keep hunting ban
Today's poll, commissioned by animal welfare
organisation the League Against Cruel Sports,
found that 80 per cent of the public do not
believe hunting should be made legal again.
Today (Boxing Day) is the biggest day of the
fox hunting calendar but opponents say it is
"a sickeningly cruel blood sport".
(Sourced from www.mirror.co.uk 26.12.13)
Hunt supporters
David Cameron has
'build fence around 'some sympathy'
Sir Paul McCartney's over dog hunting laws
land to stop deer
The prime minister has "some sympathy"
escaping'
with MPs seeking to change the law on
The League Against Cruel Sports voiced
concerns that the number of adult red deer
stags on the Quantock Hills in Somerset
was in decline. The anti-hunting group
raised fears that one particular adult stag,
nicknamed “Red”, which is currently on
League-owned land, will be in danger
when he leaves the area.
(Sourced from www.telegraph.co.uk 07.10.13)
BBC News on Boxing Day
Spanish parliament
votes to protect
bullfighting
Fox hunt continues
despite outcry
Most of the British public are still against
fox hunting, according to a new survey, on
what is traditionally a major day in the hunt
calendar The survey commissioned by
animal welfare organisations the League
Against Cruel Sports, IFAW & the RSPCA,
revealed 80% of the public think hunting
should not be made legal again.
The Spanish parliament voted to protect
bullfighting by awarding it special cultural
status in a move that was condemned by
animal rights groups yesterday.
(Sourced from www.skynews.com 27.12.13)
(Sourced from www.thetimes.co.uk 04.10.13)
hunting with dogs, Downing Street says.
Welsh MPs from the Conservatives, Liberal
Democrats and Plaid Cymru support a
change to enable farmers to use packs of
dogs to control foxes.
David Cameron's spokesman said there was
a deal in the coalition agreement to allow
for a free vote on the issue. The League
Against Cruel Sports opposed any changes,
saying it would be a bid to repeal the law
"by the back door".
(Sourced from www.bbc.co.uk 14.10.13)
Four cautioned for
illegal Cumbria fox
hunting
FOUR men have received a police caution
for illegal fox hunting with dogs. The men,
understood to be from Barrow, Kirkby,
Bardsea and Little Urswick admitted to
the offence under the Hunting Act 2004.
The cautions followed an investigation by
the League Against Cruel Sports into illegal
hunting methods in the area.
(Sourced from www.nwemail.co.uk 02.09.13)
www.league.uk
09
Operations Team Update
The League Investigations Team work
tirelessly to gather evidence of wildlife crime
and, in turn, use this to secure prosecutions
against wildlife criminals. Here’s an update
from our most recent cases.
Weston & Banwell Harriers
Huntsman George Milton and Whipper-In
Toby Lee face charges of illegally hunting
a fox in October 2012. Milton faces an
additional charge under the protection
of Badgers Act. In the last issue of Protect
we mentioned the trial was due in October,
however this has now been postponed until
31st March 2014 with a four day trial set.
punishment after it was believed that she
fled back to the US after failing to return to
the UK to face an allegation of illegal hunting,
in a case based on evidence gathered by
the League, in February 2013. Gilbert was
alleged to have hunted a hare with dogs,
contrary to Section 1 of the Hunting Act
2004, whilst she was a member of the
Royal Agricultural College Beagles.
Following information supplied by League
Investigators, an investigation was
undertaken by the North Yorkshire Police
assisted by the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds (RSPB) leading to the
CPS taking the case to court. The trial has
now been set for the 13th February 2014.
Ashford Valley and Tickham Hunt
Ledbury Hunt
The League and the RSPCA worked jointly
on a Hunting Act prosecution against a
huntsman for the Ledbury Hunt. This was
following an operation by the League’s
Investigations Team in which the footage
was submitted to the RSPCA’s prosecutions
department. Unfortunately the case was
discontinued due to difficulties proving
intent to hunt.
Despite the summons being issued,
Miss Gilbert’s lack of attendance in court
caused the Crown Prosecution Service
(CPS) to withdraw the case. We believe
Gilbert’s absence in court reinforces a
total disregard for the law in this country
and leaves unanswered questions as to
why she might not want to at least
defend herself.
Swinton Estate, North Yorkshire,
Pole trapping case
Royal Agricultural College Beagles
Former Joint-Master and Huntsman of
the Royal Agricultural College Beagles, US
citizen, Elizabeth (Libby) Gilbert evaded
Gamekeeper, Ryan Christopher Waite,
has been charged with setting an illegal
pole trap contrary to the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981.
William Staines was charged with an
offence of interfering with a badger sett.
The case was based upon surveillance
evidence provided by League Investigators
in respect of an incident which is alleged
to have occurred on 5th January 2013,
when the Ashford Valley Hunt met near
Ashford, Kent.
A CPS prosecutor authorised proceedings
against William Staines who was charged
with an offence of Interfering with a badger
sett contrary to Section 3 of the Protection
of Badgers Act 1992.
Unfortunately on the 9th December Staines
was found not-guilty.
continue to send our Investigators to look
“ We
for incidents of illegal hunting, and will work
with any appropriate organisation or agency
to enforce the Hunting Act, or other relevant
wildlife legislation. We will not tolerate the
abuse of animals for sport, and make no
apologies for trying to get those who are
alleged to have broken the law taken to court.
”
Tel: 01483 361 108
Spring 2014
10
The League at 90…
Co-founder,
Ernest Bell
2014 sees the League Against Cruel Sports turn 90.
Nine decades of campaigning against the reality and horror
of cruel sports, with much achieved along the way. Over the
course of the year we will be looking through the archives
in celebration of our history; to chart the progress of our
campaigns; to recognise milestones along the way; and to
take a moment amongst our current campaigning to see how
the actions of those who seek to protect animals have done
exactly that. In this issue we look at the first three decades,
1924 to 1954, where it began all those years ago.
1924
Henry B Amos, with Ernest Bell, sets up
the League for the Prohibition of Cruel
Sports, which has its inaugural meeting
on November 25th.
1926
The first Executive Committee of the
League formed.
1927
The first League journal, ‘Cruel Sports’,
is published.
1928
The National Appeal Against Stag Hunting
is launched.
1929
Isaac Foot MP introduces Private
Member’s Bill (PMB) to stop carted stag
hunting and rabbit coursing.
1930
Three Parliamentary Bills dealing with the
coursing and hunting of animals introduced.
Lovat Fraser MP presents the League’s
National Appeal Against Stag Hunting,
containing 85,000 signatures, to the
Home Secretary.
The British Field Sports Society (now
Countryside Alliance) is formed.
1934
League organises its first public protest
meeting against hare coursing at the
Waterloo Cup in Altcar, Merseyside.
The beginning
The League Against Cruel Sports
started as the League for the
Prohibition of Cruel Sports on
25th November 1924 when
Mr Henry B Amos, the first
secretary for the League for the
Prohibition of Cruel Sports and
the undoubted father of our
movement, set up a break away
organisation from the RSPCA.
His aim was to concentrate
solely on cruelty inflicted to
animals in the name of sport.
As shown in the advert found
on the back of ‘Cruel Sports’,
the League’s first journal, the
organisation’s objectives and
mission are as true today as
they were then. The Principles
set out in the first annual
report in 1925 said simply
“…that it is iniquitous to inflict
suffering, either directly or
indirectly, upon sentient
animals for the purpose of
sport.” It is a statement that
remains the context for all
that we do.
www.league.uk
11
What’s in a name (or logo)?
Our name has to say who we are and what we do, and since 1924 things
have changed along the way, but our mission has remained the same.
1.
2.
The first logo for the
League for the Prohibition
of Cruel Sports can been
seen on publications
from 1931, and was a
simple use of the letters,
but with a sweep on the
‘P’ that was likely to be a
nod to the Methodist
background of many of
the supporting activist
in the early years.
The name of the League
was changed in 1942 when
a motion was proposed and
accepted stating ‘The name
of the Society shall be the
League Against Cruel Sports.
The aim of the League shall
be the cessation of all
cruel sports’. The new logo
featured the key hunted
animals that the organisation
sought to protect – the hare,
fox and stag.
3.
The 3 animals logo
was updated in 1989,
after serving for an
impressive 42 years,
from circular to
rectangular form.
4.
Bringing us right up to
date, in 2010 the paw
logo replaced the hunted
animal version, as the
League sought to
represent many more of
the animals that suffer
the abuse of cruel sports.
The paw has a heart
shape to it, as animals
are at the heart of
everything that we do.
1937
Reverend James Barr MP (former Chair of
the League) introduces a PMB directed at
ending the hunting of carted deer.
1939
George Lansbury MP introduces a PMB
to stop wild and carted stag hunting.
WWII begins, but the League decides
to remain in existence in reduced form
to prevent loss of ground on the
hunting campaign.
1940
League forced to move out of London
premises due to bombing.
1942
League changes its name to ‘League
Against Cruel Sports’.
The inaugural meeting of the League,
taken in Exeter in November 1924
The League ‘under war conditions’
In September 1939, immediately after
war broke out, all League members
were sent a letter entitled ‘The
League Under War Conditions’.
After serious consideration of the
options available, the Executive
Committee decided that the League
should continue, albeit in a far
reduced capacity, during the war.
The full letter is reproduced here,
and remains as courageous and
determined on reading today as it
would surely have appeared to
those members who received it at
the time. This decision was crucial
to the ongoing growth and success
of the League, and without it the
organisation would not have
achieved all it has to date.
1943
The Agriculture Minister asks for all
Spring fox hunts to be cancelled due to
food shortages.
1945
The first League film, Dead or Alive,
shown in cinemas.
1946
Seymour Cocks MP introduces a PMB to ban
the hunting of deer, otters and badgers, as
well as hare and rabbit coursing. A second bill
to ban fox hunting is withdrawn in exchange
for the Government setting up an inquiry to
examine animal cruelty and the law.
1949
Government committee set up on the
question of animal cruelty.
1951
The Scott-Henderson Committee releases
its report on wild animal cruelty.
Spring 2014
12
Public Affairs Update
As we head into 2014, the League can reflect back on an extremely
busy and positive 2013 in which we worked hard to put animal
welfare high on the political agenda. However, we still have much
to do in 2014, the last year before a General Election, which could
be crucial to animal welfare.
Snaring
Badger cull
by a further six weeks in Somerset and eight
in Gloucestershire. Owen Paterson even
sought to place the blame on the badgers
themselves for “moving the goalposts”.
The main political focus for the
League this year was a campaign
to ban snaring in Great Britain
and Northern Ireland.
Not only did we hold a highly successful
manifesto launch calling for snares to be
banned, but we also established a cross
party working group to look at an effective
political strategy to achieve a ban.
The group, which is led by Sir Roger Gale
Conservative MP and League Vice Presidents
Angela Smith Labour MP and Adrian Sanders
Lib Dem MP, will be attempting to secure a
Westminster Hall debate early in 2014 and
will highlight the importance of securing
and improving animal welfare legislation.
© Dave Butcher
This has been a bad year for
both badgers and farmers.
It was bad news for badgers when the long
threatened cull finally began in Autumn in
the pilot zones of Gloucestershire and
Somerset. However, it was also bad news
for farmers dealing with bovine tuberculosis
(bTB) who have been hoodwinked by the
Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) that the cull is a
solution to tackling bTB.
Looking back at 2013 we can now see that
the the cull was a complete failure, just as
the League and our campaign partners in
the Team Badger coalition had predicted.
The target of killing 70 per cent of badgers
in the pilot areas as set by the Government
was nowhere near reached. In November,
the Secretary of State for Defra, Owen
Paterson, was forced to admit the Government
had only been able to kill a fraction of the
badgers they had planned on culling.
Perversely, because of their dismal failure in
reaching their kill target, the Government,
rather than abandoning its cull, extended it
Of course, we were delighted that the
extension to the cull in Gloucestershire was
called off three weeks early, again due to
the failure of the marksmen to kill the target
number of badgers. The pilot in Somerset
ended on 1st November after it also failed to
meet its target even after the three-week
extension. However, this only represents a
temporary reprieve for badgers.
The main focus for the League is now to
ensure the cull is not rolled out to other
zones and this shameful slaughter of a
much loved, iconic and protected species
does not take place.
In December a Westminster Hall debate was
successfully submitted by League Trustee
and Member of Parliament Chris Williamson
on the future of the cull, which saw some
powerful speeches from MPs of all parties.
We know from our recent polling that the
majority of the public don’t support the cull.
Crucially, the polling indicates how
parliamentary candidates would be regarded.
35 per cent of people claimed they would
view a parliamentary candidate more
favourably if they support vaccination of
badgers. Only 6 per cent would view a
candidate supporting a badger cull more
favourably . We have written to all MPs
whose constituencies fall within the
“high risk” or “edge zone” with the results
of our polling, which could be crucial in the
marginal seats.
YouGov PLC. (2013) Badger Vaccination
www.league.uk
Hunting Act
The League welcomed reported
comments from the new
Environment Minister, George
Eustice, which indicated the
Government would be unlikely
to repeal or amend the Act due
to lack of parliamentary time
and support.
However, until the Government confirms
that it will not pursue its manifesto
promise to hold a vote on repeal, we
will remain vigilant.
2014 is a hugely important anniversary
for the Hunting Act, marking ten years
since the law was passed banning the
hunting of foxes, mink, deer and hare
with hounds. In February we will be
hosting a reception in Parliament with
our campaign colleagues, the RSPCA
and IFAW to mark this momentous
occasion. It will also serve as a pertinent
reminder to MPs, in the last year before
a General Election, that the majority of
the public do not want to see a return
to cruelty a decade after hunting
was banned.
13
News In Brief from the Devolved Nations
Scotland
One of our main focuses in Scotland in
recent years has been on snares. At the
moment, only around 1,100 of an expected
3,000 applications to set snares have
been received by the Scottish Government
and intelligence on the ground shows
that fewer snares are being used. The
legislation is next being reviewed in 2016;
ahead of this, the League will continue to
argue that snaring is unnecessary and
cruel, and ask all political parties in
Scotland to commit to a ban on snaring.
League Scotland has also been working
hard to highlight the persecution of
mountain hares by the shooting industry.
We had a very successful Parliamentary reception, hosted by Stuart MacMillan MSP,
in late November, to highlight our work to Members of the Scottish Parliament.
League Scotland also attended the Green Party Conference in Inverness in October,
making it our third conference trip this year.
Wales
In October we responded to the latest Welsh Government consultation on the Dog
Breeding Establishment regulations and took the opportunity to welcome the fact that,
unlike in other parts of the UK, the draft Welsh regulations do not offer an exemption to
establishments that breed hunt hounds.
We have voiced our opposition, both through our League Wales Twitter account and
a press release to the Welsh media, to a Game-To-Eat evening organised for Welsh
Assembly members in November by the Countryside Alliance and the National
Gamekeepers Organisation. We highlighted the cruelty involved in the rearing and
shooting of game birds for sport.
We are in contact with Welsh Government officials on the issue of snares and look
forward to participating in discussion groups with officials and other stakeholders
regarding the results of the 2012 Defra report on the humaneness of them.
Northern Ireland
Thankfully, the Minister for Agriculture has confirmed that Northern Ireland will not
be initiating a badger cull as part of their strategy to eradicate bovine TB. Instead,
a “Test and Vaccinate or Remove (TVR)” policy will be implemented in mid 2014.
We are currently trying to increase awareness about our work in NI by encouraging
people to join or help form new Supporter Groups within the region.
For more information please visit our website: www.league.org.uk/Groups.
Follow our public affairs team at:
@LeagueEngland, @LeagueScotland and @LeagueWales
Spring 2014
14
Get Active
Local groups
Since the last edition
of Protect we have
experienced an
inspiring surge in
supporters looking to
actively campaign on
our behalf in their local
cities, towns and villages.
Our messages could
not be spread so far and
wide without the help
of these incredible
people and we want to
thank each and every
one of them for their
help and support.
If one of the new groups listed below
is near you and you’d be interested in
becoming involved in actively
campaigning with a group of like-minded,
passionate people, please contact the
League on [email protected] or by
calling 01483 524 250.
Alternatively, each group now has its own
Facebook page, so you can also search,
‘Like’ and contact them directly!
l
London/Kent
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Northampton
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Scotland
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South Wales
l
Surrey
l
West Yorkshire
M id Devon at Xmas Withou
t Cruelty
Meanwhile, all of our longstanding
groups continue to work hard to
ensure that the plight of our wildlife is
not forgotten in the new year.
Our Mid-Devon group held a stand for
us at the South West Christmas Without
Cruelty Fair in Exeter. The fair was
heaving as usual, and the group did a
fantastic job raising awareness and funds
for our campaigns.
Things have been busy as usual in the
Midlands, with the group organising a
public meeting with Paddy Tipping, their
regional Police and Crime Commissioner.
The event, chaired by our Chief Executive,
Joe, was a great success and allowed any
interested parties to ask questions on local
wildlife crime to Paddy.
Events like this are a brilliant way
to engage with your local police
force and express any concerns
or knowledge you may have
regarding illegal persecution
of wildlife.
M idlands at Compas
n
Supporter Rita, sta ll in En field Tow
si on ate Derby
All of our groups are made up of lovely,
enthusiastic people who would be
delighted to welcome new members.
Please do get in touch if you’d like to
help us ensure 2014 is a year that shows
compassion to British wildlife.
www.league.uk
15
The League’s 90th Gala Ball
To mark 90 years of campaigning and
investigating the cruelty inflicted on
animals in the name of sport, and to
raise much needed funds for the
League, we are holding a celebratory
Gala Ball on the 1st May 2014 in London.
We would love for you to join us!
We are running a competition to
win a pair of tickets – there are
five pairs up for grabs.
The competition is open to all current
members or supporters, and all you have
to do to take part is to send us an email or
a postcard with ‘League 90th Gala Ball’
in the subject line, or as the heading on
your postcard.
Please email us at: [email protected]
or send your postcard to:
League Against Cruel Sports, New Sparling
House, Holloway Hill, Godalming, Surrey,
GU7 1QZ.
The draw will be held on Friday 28th of
February when we will pick five lucky
winners. Each ticket includes the following*:
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Drinks reception
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Three course meal
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A trip back in time
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Auction and Raffle
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Dancing
Thanks go out to our fantastic Gala Ball
sponsors: Other, DDC and Carpenter Box.
Tickets are available for sale if you would
prefer to buy one, or a pair. The price per
ticket is £90. For more information call us on
01483 524 250. Please come and celebrate
this very special occasion with us!
* Does not include travel or accommodation.
Join us for ‘Foxy February’!
Fed up of seeing foxes made out to
be the bad guys? Then join us for
‘Foxy February’ and help show some
love for one Britain’s finest mammals.
What’s going to happen?
We will use the month of February to
celebrate all things foxy! We’re producing
a leaflet on fox myths & facts (call us if
you’d like some to distribute), and will
be putting out foxy facts and lovely
photos each day on social media.
We need your help!
You can join in and celebrate all that
is good about foxes by capturing
any sightings or images of this iconic
animal that you see, and sending
them to us – either on email, or on
Twitter or Facebook.
The images can be of real foxes or any
pictures of foxes you spot around! If you
see foxes on a jumper, on a billboard or in
your garden, wherever and whenever you
come across foxes in February we want to
see pictures of it! We’ll retweet and share
the best ones on social media, and the best
5 from the month will win free membership
of the League (or a renewal if you are
already a member).
So join us for Foxy February and help
polish the image of the Fantastic Mr Fox!
/LeagueAgainstCruelSports
@LeagueACS
Email: [email protected]
Some fox facts to get us started (with thanks to The Fox Project)
Foxes have amazing hearing, they can hear a watch ticking 40 yards (120 feet) away
Foxes use 28 different types of calls to communicate with each other
l A fox can run 30 miles per hour … with many more facts to follow!
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© Brett Terry
Spring 2014
16
Achievements from 2013
As many of you will know, 2013 was an
extremely busy and important year for us
at the League. We reflect on the last year
as a series of achievements, as well as
indications of the challenges that lie ahead.
4th July:
Pamplona: Running of
the Bulls Film Launch
As tourists descended
on the San Fermin Festival
in Pamplona, we screened
our new film, Pamplona:
Running of the Bulls, in an exclusive location
in London. With some key celebrity
attendees, including Gemma Atkinson, who
featured in the film, we ensured that the
cruelty of the festival and the bullfights that
follow did not go unnoticed. Our campaign
continues, targeting unwitting tourists and
tour operators who promote animal cruelty.
18th February:
25th April:
13th August:
Eighth Anniversary
of Hunting Act
Shooting Symposium
Gunning For Change
Middleton Foxhounds
Plead Guilty
This date marked the
eighth anniversary of
the Hunting Act coming
into effect. Whilst the
date was cause for celebration, we also
used the opportunity to raise awareness
that the Act is constantly under threat of
repeal by releasing our most shocking
film to date. ‘Don’t Turn the Clock Back
to Cruelty’ shows the brutal reality of
hunting with dogs before the passing
of the Act.
Our Symposium on
the Shooting Industry
and Firearm
Licensing offered a
comprehensive overview of many aspects
of shooting, in the form of speeches by
League representatives and guest
speakers; Q&As; and interactive break-out
sessions chaired and attended by thought
leaders and experts in different areas of
the industry.
Four members of the
Middleton Foxhounds, a
registered fox hunt
based in Malton, North
Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to hunting a fox
illegally following League footage during
a meet in December 2012 at Full Sutton,
East Yorkshire. The footage showed a fox
being brought down and torn apart by
hounds, and the huntsman blowing his
horn and encouraging the hounds to rag
the carcass.
1st March:
14th May:
30th August:
Grimsby Animal Cruelty
Trio Plead Guilty
Snares Manifesto
Launch
Duddon Valley Fox
Control Plead Guilty
Following a tip-off to
the Wildlife Crimewatch
number, we undertook
some investigations, discovering some
horrific evidence of animal abuse. We shared
our findings with the police and the RSPCA
to seek prosecution. The men pleaded
guilty to a staggering 30 charges including
causing fights between dogs, foxes and
badgers, keeping premises used for animal
fights and causing unnecessary suffering.
Our Snaring Manifesto,
which encapsulates the
findings from years of
our investigations and
research, was published and launched in
Parliament. The document outlines our
goal of securing primary legislation that
prohibits the manufacture, sale and use of
snares, whilst addressing points raised in
the 2012 Defra report.
Four men working for
the Duddon Valley
Fox Control Society
© Tony Bates
admitted hunting a
wild mammal with dogs following
intelligence which the League passed onto
Cumbria Police. The four had been granted
permission by the Forestry Commission to
carry out legal fox control on specified
dates, subject to certain conditions, at
Broughton Moor, Cumbria.
www.league.uk
11th September:
Madrid coalition meeting
We were instrumental in
forming a coalition against
the move by the Spanish
Government to protect
bullfighting as an
‘intangible cultural heritage’
Along with CAS International, HSI, La Tortura
no Es Cultura, PETA and WSPA, we travelled to
Madrid to call on the Congress of Deputies
not to give political support to torturous
spectacles. Together, we delivered a letter
signed by over 100 animal welfare
organisations from 29 countries that were
opposed to the proposed legislation.
25th November:
‘It’s No Joke’
In November, we launched
a national awareness
campaign featuring
comedian Dave Spikey
to highlight the importance
of the Hunting Act.
The ‘No Joke’ campaign sees adverts running
across YouTube and over 400 cinemas across
the country, alerting the public of the threat to
the Act. The campaign potentially reached over
five million people.
29th November:
Gloucester Badger Cull
Extensions Called Off
Three weeks before the
revised end date, the
license for the badger
cull extension in
Gloucestershire was revoked by Natural
England due to “no realistic prospect of the
cull removing the number of badgers required
by the licence”. Whilst the early finish to the
cull was welcome news to us and the hundreds
of thousands of people explicitly against the
cull, we anticipate that this fight will continue
this year and are developing our campaign
against the mindless cull so we are able to
meet it with full force in 2014.
17
Spain's image tarnished
as politicians vote to
protect bullfighting
On the 12th February 2013, the Spanish
House of Representatives approved the
passage of a legislative proposal, backed
by the pro-bullfighting lobby, to consider
protecting bullfighting as an intangible
cultural heritage.
Following these developments, we formed
an emergency coalition to help challenge
the proceedings in Spain and show our
support from the UK and internationally.
We are working closely with Humane
Society International (HSI), World Society
for the Protection of Animals (WSPA),
People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) and CAS International
and La Tortura No Es Cultura.
On the 6th November 2013 the Proposed
Legislative Initiative (PLI) for regulation of
bullfighting as cultural heritage in Spain
was voted through. The PLI was originally
presented in February 2013, backed by a
petition of 600,000 signatures from pro
bullfighting enthusiasts. The new law will
recognise the cruel spectacle as cultural
heritage despite substantial opposition
from the Spanish public.
The League and coalition partners
collectively gained 256,000 signatures
from 135 countries in just over two
months. Together, we presented a letter
endorsed by 140 scientists across the
globe raising concerns about the link
between animal abuse and violence especially the desensitizing impact
bullfights can have on children. Celebrities
and cultural icons supported the campaign,
including actress Pamela Anderson, who
wrote to all senators, and Spanish model
Elen Rivas, who presented the UK petition
to the Spanish Embassy. Ricky Gervais,
Leona Lewis and Benjamin Zephaniah
have also shown support.
As hugely disappointing as the final vote
was, the constant pressure from members
of the public and campaigning organisations
did have some positive effects. A lot of text
within the bill has changed significantly
and the final wording is less vigorous in its
promotion of bullfighting.
Our next campaigning priority has to be to
thwart the pro bullfighting lobby’s attempts
to promote and present the legislation to
UNESCO. If this bill is approved, even more
of our taxes will fuel this bloody industry.
As it stands, EU subsidies provide
bullfighting breeders £110 million a year
through " common agriculture payments",
£13.5 million comes from the UK alone.
It has been estimated that, through all
sources, the bullfighting industry receives
approximately 550 million Euros each year.
We will be working closely with coalition
partners and parliamentarians on this
issue so please do watch this space, and
ensure you are signed up to receive our
email campaign updates, so we can alert
you to progress and action as the
campaign unfolds in 2014.
Sign up to receive our email updates:
www.league.org.uk/register
Spring 2014
18
If it flies it dies Bird hunting on Malta
Steve Micklewright
Executive Director, BirdLife Malta
Malta lies between Africa and Europe on the
central Mediterranean migration route for
birds. Every spring and autumn, birds migrate
between the two continents and exhausted
birds use the tiny Maltese islands to rest and
feed on their long journey. Unfortunately,
thousands of Maltese hunters are waiting
for them when they arrive. The motto of
many of them is, “if it flies it dies”.
In spring, hunters target turtle dove and
quail even though spring hunting of these
birds is forbidden by the European Union’s
Birds Directive. Malta uses a loophole in EU
law to allow spring hunting, which results in
three weeks in April when hunters shoot birds
out of the sky all over Malta. The loophole
in EU rules allows for just 16,000 birds to
be killed. However, last year over 9,500
hunters registered for spring hunting and
their official limit for the season is four birds.
Even if they just shot their quota, 38,000
birds would be killed which is already over
the limit the loophole allows. Shockingly, the
only way of checking how many birds are
actually shot is through the hunters sending
in text messages every time they shoot a
bird, which of course they do not do.
For five months from the beginning of
September, Maltese hunters can legally
shoot an unlimited number of over 40
species of bird, including starling, song
thrush and skylark. However, many hunters
also illegally target protected species,
especially birds of prey such as marsh harrier
and honey buzzard and other attractive
species including flamingo and black stork.
These birds are used for taxidermy and
many hunters have huge collections of
stuffed rare birds that they have illegally
shot over Malta. Hunters also illegally shoot
these birds in spring and injured shot birds
pour into the BirdLife Malta office during
both hunting seasons. In spring we had
injured cuckoos and barn swallows; birds
that are known to fly to the UK from Africa,
using Malta as a stopover. In October an
unusual migration of fifty booted eagles
resulted in a massacre where hunters from
all over the Maltese islands came out in
force to shoot at these collectable birds.
You can watch a clip of the massacre on
BirdLife Malta’s YouTube channel.
Malta has the highest density of hunters of
any country in the world and hunting has been
a problem for a very long time. However,
during the 2013 general election, the Maltese
Labour Party made a deal with the hunting
lobby in exchange for votes. Ever since,
restrictions on hunting have been
progressively removed. The most significant
change has been the rollback, from 3pm
to 7pm, of a curfew on hunting during the
peak migration of birds of prey in September.
These birds arrive on Malta in the afternoon
searching for trees to roost and the result
of the rollback has been that 80 per cent of
illegal hunting took place in the afternoon
for the first time in many years.
While hunters are a powerful and bullying
lobby group in Malta, the Maltese people
are strongly opposed to hunting and it is
possible that a referendum will be held in
2014 to abolish hunting in spring. However,
a referendum would not be necessary if
the European Commission did its job and
prosecuted Malta for allowing spring
hunting to take place. You can help put
pressure on the Commission by asking
your MEP to ask difficult and challenging
questions in the European Parliament.
To find out how you can help, please email
[email protected] and we can provide
you with all the information you need.
www.birdlifemalta.org
www.league.uk
19
Fundraising
Help protect
animals this season
by taking part in
our Spring Raffle
Don’t forget Valentine’s Day this year
There is still time to buy a
special gift for your loved one
for Valentine’s Day.
Protect the thousands of animals that are cruelly
abused every year in the name of sport, and be
more involved in the direction the League takes.
Simply buy the thoughtful gift of a year’s
membership to the League.
To find out more about
buying a membership, visit
www.league.org.uk/membership,
or call us on 01483 524 250.
Membership benefits
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l
l
l
l
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Membership card, welcome
pack, enamel logo pin badge
and window sticker
Free leaflets and materials
on request
Full voting rights at the Annual
General Meeting (excluding
under 16s)
Regular copies of the League's
Protect magazine
Annual Review
Priority access to special reports
Visit to the League wildlife
sanctuary in the West Country
upon request
It’s that time of year again! Your Spring
Raffle booklet should be enclosed, if
it’s not please contact us if you’d like to
request one. Additional booklets can
be ordered by phone 01483 524 250
or via email [email protected]
Congratulations to our
Winter Raffle winners:
1st prize £500: Ticket No. 059320
Mr R Thorley, Stoke-on-Trent
2nd prize £300: Ticket No. 039544
Mrs H Elfinstone, Wentnor
3rd prize £150: Ticket No. 075381
Mrs B Francis, Gwent
4th prize £50: Ticket No. 106174
Mr S Haynes, Horsham
League Launches
Online Raffle!
Our raffles have been running for almost as
long as the charity itself! They are a fantastic
fundraiser for us: In 2013 we raised £100,000
through raffle ticket sales and donations
alone, thanks to all of our wonderful players.
To celebrate this success in our 90th year and in collaboration with
RafflePlayer.com, we are launching an online raffle. This means that
you will also be able to buy entries to our usual raffle draws directly
through our website. We are hoping that this will be a big success
and support our fundraising even further!
The online Spring raffle will be launching soon. Keep an eye on
our website for more information: www.league.org.uk/onlineraffle.
By taking part in our raffles you will be helping to raise vital funds
to protect animals from cruelty, and fingers crossed, you may
even win something for yourself too!
© Dan Belton
League Against Cruel Sports
New Sparling House
Holloway Hill
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1 QZ
Tel: 01483 524 250
www.league.org.uk
www.twitter.com/LeagueACS
www.facebook.com/
leagueagainstcruelsports
Charity number: 1095234
Design: www.designsolutions.me.uk
The 90 year legacy…
Gifts generously given to the
League over the past 90 years
have allowed for us to achieve
great things for animals.
Thanks to kind supporters like you, the
legacy of the Hunting Act 2004 continues
to run strong. More and more criminals are
being brought to justice through this vital
piece of legislation, which we fought so
hard to achieve.
For many of our supporters, leaving a legacy
is a natural extension of their support, and
as a result, legacies are a main source of
funding for the League. So it is thanks to
these special gifts that we are able to carry
out a large part of our work to stop cruelty
to animals in the name of sport.
Printed on
environmentallyfriendly paper,
responsibly sourced
from well managed
forests and other
controlled sources.
Leaving a gift
in your Will is
often preferred
by those who
perhaps do not have
the resources available right now, but
who are passionate about the animals
we protect and who want to help us to
continue campaigning to end their
persecution long into the future.
No matter the value of your gift, it will
help secure a better future for many
generations of animals.
For more information on how to include
the League in your Will, please call us
on 01483 524 250. All correspondence
on this matter will be dealt with in the
strictest of confidence.