Campaign launched on Facebook in memory of Norfolk cat
killed by snare
Nearly four hundred people from across
Britain and around the world have joined an online campaign calling on the
British government to ban the manufacture,sale and use of snares. The group is
named in memory of Marmalade, a two-year-old ginger tom who was snared in
a hedge near his Aylsham home in February 2009. The snare had been set to
protect birds purpose bred for sport shooting.
The campaign has been bolstered by the support of Greg Lake,
co-founder and the voice of rock legends King Crimson and Emerson, Lake &
Palmer.
Mr Lake said, 'the act of snaring animals says far more about the
perpetrator than it does the victim and what it says to me, is that anyone who
takes pleasure inflicting pain and suffering upon innocent animals is simply a
disgrace to humanity and should be treated accordingly.'
The Facebook group was set up by Wiltshire based animal welfare campaigner
Chris Gale who says the government must act to stop the misery and death caused
to wild and domestic animals and the devastation endured by owners of animals
killed by these appalling devices.
Members of the online campaign have e-mailed Defra Minister Jim Fitzpatrick
MP and Labour Party Vice Chair Ian Cawsey MP calling for a ban.
Mr Gale said, 'In the 21st Century we should not be a country that allows
wild and domestic animals to be brutally killed or injured in mediaeval devices
that are part of an industry of killing in the name of sport. Mr Gale added,'It
is wonderful to have the support of Greg Lake for this campaign and it will give
a huge boost to all those who want snaring banned once and for all'.
Background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92Y5Mel8p0
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=132551183920
http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/content/northnorfolknews/news/story.aspx?brand=NNNOnline&category=news&tBrand=NNNonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED16%20Jul%202009%2009:11:15:347
http://www.antisnaring.org.uk/
The UK is one of only five European members that
still allow animal snares to be used. Ireland, France, Spain and
Belgium have far stricter snare rules compared to the UK.
Around
36,000 foxes are snared each year by fox snares. More than 12,300
animals are killed in the UK by gamekeepers every day for the benefit of the
shooting interests.
Almost
70 per cent of animals caught in snares are not the intended targets.
No DEFRA official has ever checked to see if a snare fulfils their own code of
practice and are lawful.