Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife
The Parliament petitions site records 102,617 signatures for this petition, which closed on 9 May 2022. The Government responded on 13 January 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 9 January 2023.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife
The Government should prohibit the sale, use and manufacture of free-running snares under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, putting them in the same category as self-locking snares, which are already illegal.
We believe that people setting free-running snares cannot ensure animal welfare as required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, that such snares cause unnecessary suffering to mammals, are indiscriminate and should be banned.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 13 January 2022; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
The Government recognises that some people consider snares to be an inhumane and unnecessary means of trapping wild animals and will launch a call for evidence on the use of snares.
The response in full:
Snares may be used in the UK to catch and restrain certain animals, primarily foxes and rabbits, for the purpose of wildlife management.
Snares are controlled in England and Wales under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This prohibits the use of self-locking snares and the setting of any type of snare in places where they are likely to catch certain non-target animals such as badgers. It also requires snares to be inspected at least once daily. A person guilty of an offence can receive an unlimited fine or even a custodial sentence.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 also prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to animals under the control of a person, including those animals caught in traps.
The Code of Best Practice on the Use of Snares for Fox Control in England sets out clear principles for the legal and humane use of snares. This was published on 20 October 2016 and can be found at:
https://basc.org.uk/codes-of-practice/snares-for-fox-control-in-england/
We know that some people consider snares to be an inhumane and unnecessary means of trapping wild animals. When used improperly, snares can cause immense suffering and we are looking at whether changes are needed to address these concerns. Therefore, we have committed to launching a call for evidence on the use of snares. This was announced in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which we launched last year as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/action-plan-for-animal-welfare
The call for evidence, which will be launched in due course, will be publicly available online, allowing all interested parties to express their views on the use of snares. In this way, the Government will ensure it has the very latest understanding on this issue, and our position will be informed by the responses received.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 377, came from Isle of Wight.
100,992 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,625 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Isle of Wight | 377 |
| Calder Valley | 366 |
| Skipton and Ripon | 365 |
| Bridgwater and West Somerset | 352 |
| St Ives | 340 |
| Wells | 337 |
| Totnes | 321 |
| East Hampshire | 320 |
| Thirsk and Malton | 311 |
| South Norfolk | 310 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 16,407 |
| South West | 12,661 |
| East of England | 10,480 |
| North West | 10,397 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,958 |
| London | 8,260 |
| West Midlands | 7,779 |
| East Midlands | 7,617 |
| Scotland | 7,392 |
| Wales | 5,039 |
| North East | 3,539 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,126 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 9 January 2023. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/600593.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a85e5805cb386031… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.