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Animal Welfare: Trapping

Question for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

UIN 28746, tabled on 26 February 2016

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of stricter regulations on the use of snares and traps.

Answered on

2 March 2016

Regulation of traps and snares balances the welfare needs of the trapped animal against the need for effective methods of killing or taking target species.

With regard to snares, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Chesterfield, Toby Perkins MP, on 11 February 2016, PQ UIN 25710.

As for other kinds of trap, we already ensure all new spring traps are tested for humaneness before they are approved for use and the use of any trap is prohibited against certain species of European or national concern, for example the European otter and pine marten.