HOW FAR CAN IT GO!!!

[Pelyma]

The brown hare is subject to a government biodiversity action plan. It is well known that the estates that are coursed are the ones that have high hare populations - this is due to the estate owners managing the land in a way that is sympathetic to hares as well as putting up with them eating crops and damaging trees. These estate owners also have to put up with poachers running the hares, damaging crops and stealing things. With the ban on coursing now in place many owners have started mass culls of hares, many reducing their numbers by 70% in the first few weeks. This has resulted in thousands of hares killed.

 

Compare this to the numbers of hares killed by coursing (killing the hare is not the object of coursing, nor is it of any benefit) The best greyhounds will kill about 10% of hares coursed, salukis similar amounts and deerhounds and whippets less still, so in total maybe 200 hares in a season. The poachers will carry on because they were illegal anyway. Tell me who the looser is? The creature we care most about is the hare, followed by our dogs.

 

You can talk about animal rights, but what about the rights of my dogs to pursue prey fulfilling their natural urges. The animal rights agenda is in full swing, those of you that think the bit of good you do for conservation, or the numbers of you that vote or the revenue will protect you are living in cloud cuckoo land. We are all in their sights. A bit of crap science that fish feel pain and we've had it. It matters not that you eat your prey, we eat the hares, what matters is you are using another being to get your kicks and that is all they care about. You've seen the PETA adverts, there are millions of $ more where that came from. Another £1m to the labour party or 3 or 4 and suddenly you've got them in your pocket.

 

We all need to stick together, we need to be organised we need to be proactive, we need to stop in fighting and see the enemy. They know you, they know how to attack you and they have the money to do it. You've been warned.

[David.W]

I have a feeling that they will be after shooting next, all because of a few mindless idiots, not just the hunters.

 

There have been a few things in the news recently about people shooting at Firemen, the young boy that was killed, shootings in America.

 

All these are ammunition for the anti's.

 

The other side of the argument is that the government banned hand guns after Dunblane, the people that used their guns for sport ended up loosing out, but there is now a bigger problem with guns illegally held than there was when they were legal.

 

Banning things only stops the honest people from enjoying themselves. The ones that are going to break the law will not stop.

 

It's always the soft targets that get hit first.

 

Sorry, rant over

[ARTHUR]

AHHH dear old shooting it is an easy one for Blair to jump on when he and the top policemen have not got the guts to sort out the bad guys and take there guns off them (Human rights maybe)

And its an easy vote catcher.

The future of all our sports I believe is in the hands of the Torys believe it or not. Labour means destuction of all country sports etc

I think the Torys are made of better stuff with more back bone.

They do intend to look after our culture and are in favour of all country sports etc Labour just uses them to gain a few votes.

As for so called research into this and into that they who pay the bill calls the tune.????

I think Blair just likes to keep us living in fear. Have the 200 bad guys who(which we heard so much about on the news) are supposed to living in England been arrested yet?

No this is not a pitch for M Howard we in Northern Ireland have no say in mainland parties for we only have our local MPs and its the normal one side or the other shouting at each other.

But one thing I can can say about the Torys they were hard on the bad guys over here but Labour let them all out of jail?????????????.(nearly 1000)then bent over backwards to kiss the terrorist back side.

Well gone fishing for two days up to the Antrim coast.

Happy Easter

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Getting back to fishing, when was the last time the conservatives did anything for anglers?

 

Search as you might you will find nothing.

 

Leons latest posting will show you that the current goverment are making steps in the right direction to protect species and promote angling.

 

If I was a conservative I would be voting labour, at least they have made a start in the right direction.

[ARTHUR]

what did labour do for fishing except to allow the EEC to destroy our fishing fleet ask anyone in or sorry was in a trawler

at the end of the day its your sport thats threatened me I will jump in the car go accross the border and go fishing theres no restriction down south.

my boat awaits me gone fishing full report next week.

 

[ 25. March 2005, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: ARTHUR ]

[FearTheHands]

quote:

---

Ken Davison South Wales:

 

The question relating to fishing is open to debate, but in my opinion smoking is not.

---

That's PRECISELY how the animal welfare protestors see their opinion.

 

Surely you MUST be able to see the hypocrisy in that statement ???!???

 

Fox hunting & fishing have NOTHING whatsoever in common. I go fishing predominantly to try & catch something that I can eat. If I catch more than I can eat/too small etc, they go back in the quickest & most pain free way I can give them. If I am going to take them home for the table I despatch them as quick & as pain free as possible. I take no pleasure in killing fish, I don't have bloodlust.

 

Fox hunting has nothing to do with pest control. It's prehistoric & has no place in today's society. If foxes are a pest (& I don't pretend to be a farmer) then shoot them. A much more efficient way of controlling that "pest".

To say that banning fox hunting will put 1000's of people out of work is utter bullshit. Switch to drag hunting, if you truly believe that hunting the fox down is NOT the only focus of your days "entertainment".

 

I state the above having spent (up until 10 months ago) 15 years as a vegetarian. 5 of those years included being a vegan. So don't even attempt to pigeonhole me as an "anti". I educated myself about what food I put into my body & how that food is produced. I'm very glad I did as it taught me a colossal amount about food, but I wouldn't go back.

 

I take the time & effort to find out where my food comes from. If it's vegetables I like to grow as much of my own as possible. If it's fish I try & catch it for the table. If it's meat I like to know where it came from & insist on only eating free range meat.

 

We are all hypocrites. I lovingly pat my dogs head while eating a nice juicy rare steak. I also keep tropical fish & am upset if I lose a fish I've had for years, but I'll still go out the next day & kill a fish to eat.

 

There are plenty of animals/beings that I feel contempt for, that doesn't mean to say I promote cruelty to any of them. I hate cats & am allergic to them, but you will never find me being cruel to one.

 

Tolerance is the key, whether it be towards peoples opinions or towards animals you consider being a pest.

Recommending that you cast a weight & lead around someone's head is exactly the ammunition the "anti's" as you insist on calling them is after. It shows a clear contempt for ALL living beings, let alone fish.

 

I shall stand shoulder to shoulder to defend my right to fish. More importantly though, I shall also stand up to be counted to demand my right to free speech, just as the "anti's" are doing....

[ARTHUR]

GUYS guys lets not fall out the answer is simple write to E MAIL or phone organisations like the RSPCA LACS MPs etc and ask them there views on fishing you will get an eye opener.

I have done it but find the answers for yourself and dont be taken in by MPs saying we ''support fishing within the law''thats an easy cop out as MPs make the law.

The real question should be ''What are you doing to protect the sport of fishing''

PS DO NOT EXPECT A STRAIGHT ANSWER AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL REFUSE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION?????

[Steve Walker]

crab master:

they wont ban sea angling because people eat fish it would be stupid to say ban sea angling because its cruel because there is no other more humane way of catching and killing fish for human consuption what will you be saying they will try to ban next beef burgers?

Ah, you would be applying logic there. It doesn't work with these people. They don't think, they emote.

 

As for their next target, they went for foxhunting not because they wouldn't like to ban shooting, fishing and eating meat, but because it was a battle they thought they could win.

 

My worry is that the rent-a-mob hunt sabs will now be looking for someone else's expense to have their fun at.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Hi FearTheHands,

 

I don't know how I got roped into that one.

 

Point one: My statement pointed out the vast difference between banning smoking and banning fishing.

 

Point two: Providing the antis just keep spouting and keep well clear of interfering with my personal peaceful persuit then I won't need to wrap a 3oz lead around their ears.

 

Point three: I have tolerance for those that show it, the rent a mob and those who rented them did not show tolerance they were just bloody minded.

 

I had no love of fox hunting but it was not up to me or anyone else to go out there and abuse the people who supported it.

 

Patting the dog on the head whilst eating a steak is not being a hypocrite, it would be if you stuck the dog in the oven the following day.

 

What are you going to do if rent a mob is going to toss you into the sea? Pat their heads!!!

[Sportsman]

I don't think that the goverment are the problem. What you need to worry about are tree hugging loonies who get themselves elected to local councils. With an access ban here and a bait ban there they will wear away at your sport until there is nothing left. One loony on the wrong committe could do more damage to your sport than you could possibly imagine

Regards

Dave