Topics / Animals
Should hunting for sport be banned?
Should killing wild animals for sport be lawful in the UK, and if so in which forms (hunting with dogs, shooting, fishing, importing hunting trophies)? The answer turns mainly on values about animal welfare, rural life and personal liberty, alongside factual questions about wildlife management, welfare and the rural economy.
Positions
- Yes, ban killing animals for sport: Killing animals for enjoyment is wrong, so the principle behind the Hunting Act should be extended to shooting for sport, and the import of hunting trophies should be banned. Where wild animals genuinely need controlling, this should be done for that purpose by trained people using the most humane methods, not as recreation.
- Keep the current law: Hunting wild mammals with dogs should remain banned because it causes serious suffering for little wildlife management benefit, but regulated shooting and fishing should continue because, done well, they can be humane, support wildlife management and conservation, and sustain rural livelihoods.
- Allow regulated hunting and repeal the dog ban: Hunting, shooting and fishing are legitimate rural activities that support jobs, communities and land management and help control pest species; they should be regulated for welfare, not banned. The Hunting Act 2004 has proved hard to enforce and divisive, and should be replaced by a regulated system that permits hunting with dogs under licence.