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FEBRUARY 2000

CONTACT

Ruthin NFU Office
01824 702455

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Introduction

NFU Cymru w Wales on behalf of its 14500 members in Wales are pleased to submit written evidence to the Committee of Inquiry.

The overwhelming response from NFU Cymru w Wales members is that the use of dogs as a method of agricultural pest control should continue. This is primarily for controlling foxes but also for other species such as mink and to a lesser extent hares and deer.

A pest is an animal in an environment where it is not wanted. Foxes fall into this category where they have an adverse effect on the livelihood of sheep and poultry keepers in particular. Foxes have been considered a pest since at least the 13-century in Britain and their satisfactory control is now as important as ever.

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Factual Information

The importance of fox control in Wales is highlighted by the fact that there are well in excess of 100 fox control societies scattered throughout the Principality.

The map showing their distribution is shown at Appendix 1 and Fox Control Societies using Forest Enterprise land are listed at Appendix 2.

At Llanffestiniog in Meirionnydd a £1 bounty per fox was paid in 1801. Llanfachreth also in Meirionnydd up to 1924, the parish council were managing a fund used to reward the killing of foxes, moneys for which were obtained from contributions by farmers and landowners.

This concept has continued with voluntary contributions by sheep farmers to fox control societies for bounties for the tails of killed foxes. If foxes were not a problem then these societies would have folded many years ago. In fact fox numbers are higher now than ever in many areas making their continuation even more important.

Some fox control societies keep their own pack of hounds and terriers whilst others share dogs with neighbouring societies thereby saving on costs. Almost all societies prepare a programme of hunts in their areas with on call hunts at lambing time. This is done professionally with the knowledge and consent of all landowners over which the event is likely to take place. All hound packs and terriers would have liability insurance. The value and importance of foxhound packs is shown at Appendix 3.

The number of foxes killed annually by individual societies has recently been increasing. There are several reasons for this, the main one being improved habitat for fox lying up areas during the day. These are often dense coniferous forestry areas. Controlling foxes satisfactorily would be impossible without dogs in these areas, which now cover much of rural areas of Wales. This fact is recognised by the Forestry Commission in Wales who allow dogs onto their land and provide funding for societies in some areas.

Hunting falls into three categories: -

1. Mounted Hunts
2. Foot Packs
3. Use of hounds to drive foxes from woodland or thick cover to waiting guns.

All are practised in Wales with B and C being the most common.

The overwhelming majority of sheep farmers particularly in hill areas (82% of the Welsh land is classified as Less Favoured) support hunting with dogs to control foxes and alleviate damage. In fact many farmers join the hunt themselves in all weathers to help ensure successful control.

The co-operation is reciprocated with all hunts willing to readily help a farmer who has a fox problem on his hands. Moreover this is the only sure method of killing these foxes with a dawn start to pick up its scent to find its daytime lying up place.

Also a vixen followed to the cub den will ensure that not only will the vixen be killed but that the cubs will be found and despatched humanely. A pack of dogs working together are more effective in tracking the sent compared to individual dogs.

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Rural Economy

In livestock areas where hunts operate the service provided by hunt kennels of collecting casualty animals is valued by farmers for its speed, low cost, convenience and the avoidance of on farm burial.

The service is now more important than ever due to the Government’s decision not to carry on with the calf slaughter scheme. This has resulted in a flood of worthless male dairy calves, many of which are taken by the hunt kennels. In addition, the service of many of the hunt kennel men as licensed slaughterers has also been invaluable in these difficult times for dairy farmers.

Without this service, farmers would face significant additional costs and difficulties.

NFU Cymru w Wales do recognise the activities of the hunts are an integral part of a country life with a wide variety of approaches reflecting local conditions. The associated employment and rural economy benefits are important. Welsh farmers are being encouraged to diversify and provide rural employment opportunities. The loss of hounds would have an effect on rural employment opportunities, which are already at a premium.

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Agriculture and Pest Control

Foxes kill lambs, poultry and piglets. This is an undisputed fact.

In Wales, poultry and outdoor piglets are killed and can be devastating to individual farmers. However, with 5.5 million breeding ewes in Wales, lamb predation has the main financial effect.

The main lambing season in Wales is March and April, which coincides with the birth, and weaning of fox cubs. Cubs have a high demand for food particularly young herbivore flesh. Most sheep farmers at some time have experienced losses from foxes. However, the problem comes from indiscriminate targeting of some flocks by foxes resulting in heavy lamb losses.

Losses of 50 lambs or more are not uncommon in a 350 ewe flock. This represents a direct financial loss of £1000and £300 consequential loss. With average farm incomes of £3500 in the LFA farms in Wales, this is a serious issue for affected farmers.

Rapid dispatch of the rogue fox is essential in these cases and the best and often the only method is the use of dogs. Moreover, the use of dogs in a control programme throughout the year keeps foxes down to an acceptable level to prevent severe and widespread lamb losses.

An independent survey by ADAS identified 16.1% of lamb losses in hill flocks being due to misadventure/predation (Appendix 2). If we assume that a conservative estimate of a quarter of this figure is due to foxes this is equivalent to 22,000 lambs in Wales or £4.4 m. in monetary terms. In a bad ‘fox’ year this figure could double to £8.8 m.

Many farmers feel that this latter figure would be the norm if the option of fox control using dogs would be prohibited.

Occupiers of land have basic responsibilities regarding the control of pests. As well as a legal right, farmers also have a duty to control certain pests to protect livestock. Failure to control pests such as foxes and mink can lead to a notice being served by NAWAD under Sections 98 and 99 of the Agriculture Act 1947. Very often compliance would only be possible by the use of dogs.

All land managers share the responsibility for controlling pests. NFU Cymru w Wales strongly advocates that land managers should take into account the pest control requirements of neighbouring farmers and should be prepared to co-operate with them to alleviate any problems caused by pest species originating from their own holdings. Again, the use of dogs would be the only practical option in many areas of Wales to achieve this goal.

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Social Issues

There is no doubt that in rural areas Hunts and Hunt Followers have a social function. Almost all societies have at least one function annually and hold an Annual General Meeting as well as occasional meetings throughout the year held at local pubs and village halls.

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Management and Conservation of Wildlife

Controlling fox population is considered as essential to the conservation of wildlife. Environmental schemes, Sustainability and Biodiversity all rely on getting the right balance of habitats and species in the countryside. This means managed control.

It is interesting and significant that most conservation bodies realise the value and necessity of dogs for fox control.

Concrete evidence can be found in the Berwyn Grouse project. This is a joint project between the Game Conservancy Trust and CCW. Its aim is to increase grouse population on the Berwyn Moor SSSI. It has been eminently successful in achieving this goal. Part of the reason is the intensive pest control they have carried out in the area. Part of this pest control involves the use of 3 local foot packs of hounds and terriers to control the fox population.

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Animal Welfare

In his excellent book "The Red Fox", H.G. Lloyd the renowned Welsh authority on the fox takes the view that the hunt can be a humane and effective way of fox control in upland areas of Wales.

H.G. Lloyd devoted his working life to the study of foxes for MAFF, is not a hunt follower and is an advocate of other methods of control but recognises their limitations particularly in the hill areas of Wales.

This therefore conforms to the NFU Cymru w Wales view that the option of using dogs needs to be retained as one of the methods of fox control.

Other pest control methods are often less effective and less humane on welfare grounds. There is a real risk that the welfare of the fox would be at risk if control with dogs is not an option. NFU Cymru w Wales are on the NAWAD working group to prevent illegal poisoning of wildlife. The very real fear is that this would increase should a hunting with dogs ban be implemented. This would be totally unacceptable in terms of animal welfare and the protection of wildlife and farm animals in general. Would the Government have the ability and resources to deal with this if it happened?

The great value of the use of dogs is that it disperses foxes and many of those caught, are old, infirm or even illegally released town foxes. These animals often resort to killing poultry and lambs and become extremely hungry and poor during a harsh winter. It is better on welfare grounds alone that they are found and disposed quickly by dogs particularly if they are diseased.

In these cases the welfare of the lambs, poultry and outdoor piglets slaughtered (and not always cleanly) by these diseased and infirm foxes must also be a consideration.

Another worry which has emerged in recent years is the number of foxes which are diseased with mange. This is a real welfare issue not only for the foxes but for domestic dogs that can be affected. There is also the constant threat of rabies from continental Europe and should this disease enter the UK effective control of foxes will be extremely important.

NFU Cymru w Wales are of the view that pest control by the use of dogs contributes to the maintenance of an optimum balance in the fox population i.e. control not destruction.

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Conclusion

The overwhelming response from NFU Cymru w Wales branches was that any further reduction in the range of techniques available for pest control would seriously compromise farmers’ ability to control foxes in particular effectively. It would jeopardise effective management of farm holdings. Extensive livestock units (i.e. most of Welsh farms) would be increasingly vulnerable to predation if hunting with dogs is removed as an option. This is an irony given animal welfare arguments and the pressure on farmers to adopt less intensive husbandry methods.

Other control options are available but many farmers regard them as less effective and indeed less humane than the use of dogs. Any method of pest control can become less effective if used over a long period of time (e.g. foxes come quickly adept and wary of lamping). This reinforces the real need for a range of lawful methods to be available to farmers and land managers.

Finally, our case is built on need and fact not sentiment for historic activity. The use of dogs is critical for pest control in the livestock areas of Wales. Indeed the use of dogs for flushing out of rough country and woodland for capture by hounds or terriers or by shooting are widely regarded in many localities as the only practical method.

Agriculture pest control problems vary considerably even within Wales and there are specific geographical areas that are particularly vulnerable to fox damage. Banning the use of dogs would be to deny these farmers the ability to effectively control the pest.

NFU Cymru w Wales in all cases advocates the strict adherence to the available codes of practice produced by the responsible governing bodies such as the Welsh Masters of Fox Hounds and Farmers Association.

NFU Cymru w Wales would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss this response in detail with members of the inquiry team. We would also be pleased to arrange visits to farms who are experiencing problems with foxes. April would be a good month to visit these farms.

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Appendix 1

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Appendix 2

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Appendix 3

This Society covers a small area of approximately 16,000 ha.

81 foxes were killed in 1999.

75% of these would have been killed directly or indirectly using hounds and terriers.

Banning the use of dogs would seriously affect the efficiency of fox control in this area.

The importance of dogs in fox control is clear in Wales. In an area of approximately 60 km x 20 km in Mid Wales covered by 4 separate hound packs an average of 700 foxes are killed annually either directly by the hounds or terriers or by flushing and shooting at organised meets.

These packs meet 3 times a week during the winter months and are on call for lam losses during late Spring. They are very well supported by local farmers with often 50 guns or followers at several hunts.

Their value is shown with the widespread voluntary contributions made to the local fox control societies by farmers. These go to pay for the keep of the hounds and pay a huntsman. The financial contributions have not fallen despite the lean times in farming incomes over the last 3 years which again illustrates the value of hounds and terriers to sheep and poultry farmers.

This is an example reciprocated throughout rural Wales and NFU Cymru w Wales would be pleased to give the Inquiry further examples should you require it.

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Appendix 4

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Date uploaded to site 14 March 2000