The Irish Council Against Bloodsports is calling on the Minister for Nature, Christopher O’ Sullivan, to ban snares.
The organisation has urged him to recognise the inherent cruelty of snares and urgently act to introduce a ban in Ireland.
In 2023, a ban on snares was introduced by the Welsh government who said that “Snares, sometimes referred to as cable restraints, cause a great deal of suffering to animals and are indiscriminate as they can harm species they are not intended for such as otters, dogs and cats.”
Snaring has also being banned in Scotland in 2024 when the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn(Scotland) Bill.
The then-Environment Minister, Gillian Martin MSP, who introduced an amendment to ban snares (as recommended by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission), stated: “I believe that this parliament can no longer ignore the weight of evidence that snares lead to unacceptable levels of suffering, not just for wild animals but for domestic animals which can become trapped in them.
The decision to ban the use of snares is not one that has been taken lightly, or quickly, and my decision takes into account the wealth of evidence and opinion, that has been presented in parliament over the years on this matter.
Unfortunately, even when snares are used in very strict accordance with the conditions set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act, they remain by their nature, indiscriminate, and as such they pose an unacceptable risk to non-target species including other wildlife including endangered ones and domestic species such as cats.”
Paul Murphy TD, has raised the issue of snaring in the Dáil and has called for Ireland to follow the lead of Wales and Scotland and to implement a ban on snaring.
In response, the then Minister Darragh O’Brien said that the National Parks and Wildlife Service division of his department “has commenced a project to review and update wildlife legislation”. He described this as “an extensive review” and a “multi-year project”.
“It will examine closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity,” the Minister stated. “The review includes the Wildlife Act, which, in part, regulates the use of snares in Ireland.”
“The matter raised in the Question will be considered as part of that review,” he added.
ICABS says it will continue to highlight the cruelty of snaring until a ban is achieved in Ireland.
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