Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

The leading authority on the population status & conservation requirements of the Irish Hare is the Quercus research group from QUB. Their surveys, undertaken regularly 2002 - 2009, have demonstrated that the population fluctuates from year to year, but in the most recent report (2009) they found no significant change in population levels since the preceding survey, and an average density of 1.95 hares per sq km (very nearly satisfying the target population under the Species Action Plan, of 2 per sq km)

The Quercus research on hare populations in the Republic of Ireland clearly states that where the Irish Coursing Club  (ICC) clubs practice its hare husbandry programme, the presence of a robust Irish Hare population is 18 times more likely. Even when adjustments in calculations are made for a range of other factors, the result is that, at the very minimum, a robust Irish Hare population is still 3 times more likely in ICC hare husbandry areas. In addition, these proposed amendments will criminalise these cross-community activities which have peacefully taken place for generations and contributed positively to the local economy.

Hare coursing as practiced today is also called "park coursing"; where two muzzled greyhounds pursue a hare for less than 60 seconds in an enclosed field. The hare is trained to run to an escape which the dogs cannot access. Hares used for park coursing are returned to the wild, and this is in keeping with Ireland’s wildlife regulations. Killing the hare is not the object of park coursing.

In order for Northern Ireland hare populations to flourish, they need protection. The DEFRA report provides clear evidence that a simple ban will have dire consequences. The positive impact of year round protection and care offered through the hare husbandry programme of the ICC has been demonstrated and documented, and it is through a reinstatement of Park hare coursing in Northern Ireland that hare populations will be able to thrive once again according to EU directives.

The ICC’s hare husbandry programme is, in effect, a conservation plan that works exceptionally well, and is needed in Northern Ireland. Currently the two ICC clubs in the North are twinned with two clubs in the RoI, and should coursing be reinstated in the North, they would be required to implement the hare husbandry programme.

There is no demonstrable scientific justification for such additional protection or the banning of legitimate park coursing. We further believe such a move would be counter-productive to the population levels, health & welfare of the Irish Hare, which has been demonstrated to benefit from the conservation practises of the hunting and coursing communities, and would be an unwarranted attact on a minority culture.

The 31 packs of foot harriers and 3 packs of beagles currently operating in NI would have their acitivity removed. There would be an immediate loss of incentive for the 500 or so members of those hunt clubs (plus other, occasional followers) and their supporting landowners to continue to conserve the Irish hare & its preferred habitats.

CAI believes these proposed amendments to provide full protection for the Irish Hare and to ban coursing is motivated by concerns other than conservation interests for the Irish hare and would be a grossly illiberal act.

In conclusion, we strongly object to these amendments due to their blatant lack of concern for hare conservation, their failure to recognise hunting and coursing’s important and long-standing cross-community ties and the benefits these activities bring to our rural communities.

Time is running out.

Yours sincerely

Lyall Plant

Chief Executive