A proposed bill taken forward by Alliance MLA John Blair which would ban hunting of wild mammals with dogs, has been opposed by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).

At the Stormont Agriculture committee last Thursday, UFU policy officer Daniel Toft told MLAs there are members both for and against hunting, but ultimately, he said the union believes the draft legislation is “fundamentally unworkable”.

He said farmers should be given the choice whether to allow hunting on their land or not and warned that a clause which would criminalise landowners who allow illegal hunting was “potentially dangerous”.

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Toft maintained that those engaged in hunting might be reliant on “historic permissions” or a permission given by a different family member, while the person actively farming the land ends up liable.

He also raised concerns about some of the definitions and wording in the bill. In particular, he highlighted the need to clearly state that when a dog might unexpectedly run after a wild mammal, the owner is not partaking in illegal activity.

In addition, Toft questioned whether the PSNI would be able to enforce new legislation, given it has already stretched resources and the ongoing need to tackle livestock and machinery theft, trespassing and other rural crime.

MoU

Instead of a ban on hunting, the UFU representatives urged committee members to consider an alternative, based on a “strengthened” memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the UFU and the Countryside Alliance Ireland and the NI Masters of Hounds Association.

First established in 2013, an updated MoU will take effect from the beginning of the 2027 hunting season.

It requires hunts to have annual written field-specific permissions in place, with a farmer able to withdraw that permission at any time, including during a hunt.

“The UFU believes this offers a practical way forward that preserves farmer choice but holds hunts accountable for their conduct on agricultural land,” said Toft.

However, the bill sponsor John Blair recounted how he had recently met a group of farm families in Co Down who were opposed to hunting and who believe the MoU is “not worth the paper it’s written on” given it is not enforceable.

“We are confident that that will be enforced. We’ll be watching closely to check that it is and where members raise issues directly with us, we will absolutely defend members,” responded Toft.