In anticipation of more than 200 fox-hunting events on Christmas Day, there are renewed efforts to strengthen the ban on the practice.
According to the Countryside Alliance, this is the first time in three years that traditional meets will be held in their entirety.
The Hunting Act of 2004 made it unlawful in England and Wales to use dogs to hunt or kill foxes.
Labour has demanded stronger fox hunting restrictions after claiming there had been fewer than 450 prosecutions in over a decade.
Since 2010, the Hunting Act has resulted in 438 convictions, including 42 last year, according to official numbers provided by Labour.
Labour seeks to tighten legal “loopholes” and claims that trail hunting, which includes planting a scent for hounds to track instead of a live animal, is a “smokescreen” for unlawful fox hunting.
The Countryside Alliance, an organization that advocates for the reinstatement of fox hunting, has accused Labour of harboring a “pointless political vendetta against hunting.”
Chairman Nick Herbert stated, “Labour’s viewpoint is nonsensical, and the high number of convictions under the Hunting Act merely demonstrates the legislation’s efficacy.”
In response to Labour’s statistics, a government official stated, “The Hunting Act of 2004 makes it illegal to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, and anyone who suspects an offense has been committed should contact the police.”
Those convicted of violating the statute are subject to the full force of the law.
