Wales Is One Step Closer To Becoming The First Nation In The UK To Ban Cruel Animal Snares

A vote in the Senedd in Wales last week has paved the way for a complete ban on cruel snares throughout the country. Wales is the first nation in the UK to take this historic step forward for animal welfare.

The vote was part of the stage three debate on the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, during which amendments designed to water down the snares ban were defeated.

The legislative process now moves on to the fourth and final stage in which the Senedd is expected to ratify the bill as early as this week, subject to the King’s consent.

It follows over five years of rigorous campaigning by animal welfare organization The League Against Cruel Sports to ban snares throughout the country for good.

“Wales is leading the way in animal welfare by being the first country to ban these cruel and indiscriminate traps,” Will Morton, head of public affairs at the League Against Cruel Sports, said in a statement. “We thank the thousands of campaigners who are backing the ban in Wales and the MSs who gave cross party support to make it become a reality.”

The recent debate resulted in the defeat of amendments to allow so-called “humane cable restraints,” a term used by the shooting industry lobby to try and mask the cruelty of these devices.

Snares are cruel and indiscriminate wire traps. Nearly a quarter of a million lie hidden in the British countryside at any one time. They are used by shooting industry gamekeepers on ‘game’ bird shoots to trap wildlife.

Snares tighten around the neck, torso or legs of the animal and cause immense pain and suffering to the trapped victims. While the animals struggle to free themselves from the snares, their suffering can last hours or days before the animal is either shot or left there to die.

Government figures from Defra show that nearly three quarters of the animals caught in snares are not the intended target species.

Polling carried out by YouGov in January 2021 showed that 78% of the Welsh public wanted snares to be made illegal.

Once the Agriculture (Wales) Bill is passed, it will then come into force two months after receiving royal assent.

“The ban on the use of snares will protect wild, farmed, and domestic animals from falling victim to these brutal devices, a move that will be welcomed by the vast majority of the Welsh people,” concluded Morton. “The next step is to lobby the UK and Scottish governments to follow the precedence set in Wales and to ban these barbaric devices.”