The first UK nation to make steps towards ban.

The Welsh parliament has voted in favour of banning snares. The vote took place on Tuesday, 16 May, and was part of the third stage of a debate on the Agriculture (Wales) Bill.

The legislative process will now move to its fourth and final stage, when Senedd is expected to ratify the bill, subject to King’s consent. A ban will come into force two months after receiving royal assent. 

Snares are wire traps used by famers and gamekeepers to catch foxes, rabbits and brown hares. Under the Animal Welfare Act (2006), operators are responsible for avoiding the unnecessary suffering of any captured animal, and they are urged to understand and follow the relevant code of practice.

Even when used responsibly, the devices trap indiscriminately, and according to research by Defra, nearly 75 per cent of animals caught in snares are not the intended species. They can catch animals such as deer, badgers, and even domestic dogs and cats.

Wales is the first country in the UK to make steps towards a snare ban, and the vote follows five years of campaigning by UK animal welfare charity, the League Against Cruel Sports.

Will Morton, head of public affairs at the League Against Cruel Sports said: “Wales is leading the way in animal welfare by being the first country to ban these cruel and indiscriminate traps. 

“We thank the thousands of campaigners who are backing the ban in Wales and the MSs who gave cross party support to make it become a reality."
 
The charity now plan to lobby the UK and Scottish governments to enact similar legislation in England and Scotland.