Hunting restrictions eased in North

Remaining restrictions on hunting with hounds in Northern Ireland were relaxed today.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Belfast announced organisations promoting hunts would no longer have to observe disease control protocols agreed with them during the foot-and-mouth outbreak last year.

The main effect of the change is that organisers of hunts will not have to give advance notice of meetings or written assurances that they have put in place arrangements to observe the protocols and that they have complied with the arrangements.

However, the department recommended that hunt clubs should continue to keep records relating to the areas hunted and to observe reasonable biosecurity measures.

Hunts are being recommended to:

:: Retain a detailed record of the area hunted on a particular day

:: Ensure all vehicles and trailers used are thoroughly disinfected and washed down before and after each day’s hunting

:: See that hounds and horses pass over disinfected mats when leaving and entering kennels and stables.

:: See that all participants avoid contact with farm livestock on the area being hunted.

They are now recommendations, not orders, but the department said it considered it “sensible and reasonable” for hunt clubs to retain the protocols relating the maintenance of records of areas hunted and the biosecurity disease control measures.