Will Kerry Minister change coursing rules?

TippFan77

If John Gormley who was anti-bloodsports couldn't stop hare coursing, then, you might ask, what are the odds that Jimmy Deenihan, who now has the brief that includes grant the hare netting license, would be remotely likely to withold the license? The ICC has made its annual application for the license and the minister must decide whether to grant it or not...or whether to grant it with extra conditions attached.

Well, while he isn't likely to refuse the license that allows thousands of hares to be captured for coursing (he's a Kerryman-no Kerry TD or Senator has EVER come out against coursing, and Fine Gael is officially pro-bloodsports), there's a chance that the Minister will at least improve the lot of the hares by amending the license at some point.

There are ways of actually tweaking the license conditions to make it more difficult for coursing clubs to inflict too much suffering on the hares.

Examples are: microchip all hares to ensure no hare is ever coursed a second time in its life (more humane than ear-tagging...harss oftens tug at the eartags, resulting in wounds and infection)...restrict where clubs can net hares...FULL VIDEOTAPING OF ALL COURSING EVENTS AND ALL NETTING OF HARES FROM START TO FINISH...this latter measure would clear up any issue as to what did or did not happen at the events or during netting.

The best option in my opinion is to REPLACE live hare coursing with DRAG coursing (involving the dogs running after a dummy lure), as this would preserve the fun and the action while eliminating the hare's ordeal.

I see ICABS has a new video calling on the minister to act. I hope he will at least make life easier for the innocent hares if he can't or won't actually refuse the license outright:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJCtaXeXUt8