Thursday, July 29, 2004
HABITAT MANAGEMENT & HUNTING
The Countryside Alliance has long argued that hunting is just one of the methods of managing fox populations and agrees with Professor Harris that habitat management plays a critical part. Once you get beyond the rhetoric, his study paints an interesting picture. The long-term stability of the fox population suggests the current system of managing foxes, using hunting, shooting and other legal methods, is working and producing a sustainable population acceptable to farming interests.
One part of that management has been the creation and conservation of natural habitats by hunts, recognised by reputable researchers as having far-reaching biodiversity benefits. In the absence of any evidence that hunting is any less humane than other methods of control, as confirmed by the Burns report, it would seem that Professor Harris's work proves that the best result for foxes, wildlife and farming is achieved by enabling the current proven methods to continue.Simon HartChief executive, Countryside Alliance
One part of that management has been the creation and conservation of natural habitats by hunts, recognised by reputable researchers as having far-reaching biodiversity benefits. In the absence of any evidence that hunting is any less humane than other methods of control, as confirmed by the Burns report, it would seem that Professor Harris's work proves that the best result for foxes, wildlife and farming is achieved by enabling the current proven methods to continue.Simon HartChief executive, Countryside Alliance
