HSA News Release 1st November 2007

The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) stated today that they were ready for what would traditionally be the start of a new fox-hunting season. Despite media reports to the contrary, hunt saboteurs, who have over 40 years experience of sabotaging hunting activities, firmly believe that the Hunting Act is a workable piece of legislation, and that the end of hunting as we know it is well on the way. Two convictions have just been upheld, and Anne Widdecombe has indicated that there is a case for tightening the Act.

The 20 convictions so far (with more coming soon) demonstrate the Hunting Act is workable, and enforceable.

Lee Moon, a spokesperson for the HSA, stated "Hunt saboteurs traditionally use the huntsman’s own tools, such as a hunting horn, against him when sabotaging a hunt. These days our essential kit is more likely to contain a video camera to capture any illegal hunting, and a mobile phone to report it. Police resources never seemed to be lacking when it was us being policed, so we know for a fact that the budgets are there. And we aren’t the sort of people who are afraid to badger the police in order to get them out there - enforcing the law, as they are paid to do. We are perhaps best placed of all people to tell the difference between legal and illegal hunting, and whilst the bloodsports fraternity try and claim it’s ‘business as usual’ we know for a fact it is not.”

He continued "Our years of experience with hunts up and down the country means we know those who really are likely to try and carry on hunting regardless and rest assured that we already have our cameras trained on them. The general public also seem to be fed up with the outrageous arrogance and attitude of the hunters as the number of tip-offs we are receiving as to the whereabouts of hunts has reached record levels.

"Interestingly, the number of hunts advertising their meets is the lowest we have ever seen, and would make anyone think they had something to hide. The Countryside Alliance would be well advised to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ - hunting is banned, and the ban CAN and WILL be enforced. We want to see the police actively monitoring hunts and gaining evidence of law breaking. We want to see more public prosecutions. We want to see hunts that break the law being brought to justice.”

The HSA is an anti-hunt organisation with over 40 years of campaigning and non-violent activity against bloodsports and, as the very people who are out in the fields with the hunts – both prior to and subsequent to the ban – we are well placed and experienced enough to know exactly what the hunts themselves are getting up to. As such, besides asking the police to tell us what they plan to do, we have offered to lend them our expertise in this area. We have excellent knowledge of the hunting fraternity, are not afraid to capture evidence of law breaking, and are willing to pass such information on in the hope of helping the police enforce the law. Indeed proof, if it were needed, that we know precisely what we’re doing out in the field can be found in the fact that the Countryside Alliance dedicated 3 pages to us in their ‘Hunting Handbook 2006-2007’. Praise indeed.’

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ENDS