British Public Towards Fox Hunting (Essay Sample)

To what extent has the attitude of the British public towards fox hunting changed over the last 20 years?
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Table of Contents
* Abstract3
* Introduction4
* Political and Legal Perspective5
* The efficacy of hunting of foxes and public opinion8
* Campaign Groups and Media strategies and Coverage11
* Conclusion14
* Bibliography16
Abstract
The issue of foxhunting is one that has elicited endless debate, with the matter on whether to abolish it or legalize it subjected to an endless cycle of indecision. Over the years, the British parliament has enacted and repealed a number of laws affecting foxhunting. Today, the matter is still the center of a debate, with both pro and anti-hunting campaigns instituted in an attempt to sway public opinion. The rise of special interest groups like animal rights activists advances in biology and the emergence of behavioral categorizations like the vegetarians have resulted in a complex situation. Foxhunting has become an interdisciplinary issue that encompasses social, historical, political, legal and environmental aspects, which have served to affect the public’s perception of the subject and this paper will analyze this complexity with a view of creating better objective understanding of the situation. The analysis was conducted through an examination of various works that present the historical and social portrait of foxhunting, and study of the legal status of foxhunting in Britain.
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Introduction
Foxhunting has existed in Britain for almost 700 years and is part of the social and cultural fabric. It has grown to become a sport that evokes images of men dressed in red coats while riding beautiful horses on a picturesque English countryside. Fast forward to today and this idyllic picture is disrupted by emotional and controversial debates on the efficacy of the sport. As with any matter that is constantly debated in the public domain, foxhunting has witnessed changes in how it is received by the public over the years. The government, religion and special interest groups are the instigators of these changes. The rate of media attention dedicated to foxhunting has also been intriguing, considering Britain hosts mink, hare and deer hunting, which have received lesser media coverage. This could possibly attributed to the fact that foxes are considered pests, and are the most hunted creatures in Britain, coupled with the extended debate that preceded the introduction of the Hunting Act.
Literature, specifically on the historical perspective of the subject, is limited (Woods, 1998). The recent public interest has resulted in increased information on the current state of foxhunting. The sport was initially a preserve for the wealthy segment of society. These people were able to afford hounds that were able to track foxes by scent, and had the strength to run after the wily creatures (Holt, 1989). New land laws that allowed for the enclosure of personal land soon followed, resulting in the destruction of natural habitats for stags and deer, which were then game of choice (Hibbert, 1988). New breeding techniques also enabled breeding of horses that had more stamina, resulting in foxhunting becoming a favorite pastime among landowners. Foxhunting remained in the footnotes of British public perception, but the 1997 law regarding hunting with dogs promoted it to a national issue that divided public opinion, via increased media attention in the past thirty years.
Political and Legal Perspective
Throughout British history the aspect of hunting, with foxes in particular, has been the subject of numerous legal activities. Depending on prevailing sentiment and fox population, laws have been instituted to either promote or discourage the hunting of foxes. Currently, the hunting act of 2004 is the prevailing legal reference for those who seek to engage in this activity. Prior to the installation of this act, numerous drag hunts were carried out in the country. A drag hunt consists of an artificial scent being laid out for hounds to pursue, and foxes were bred to be the quarry of such hunts. Fox hunting originated from the practice of Norfolk farmers catching pestilent foxes using farm dogs (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). Gradually, these dogs were specifically bred and trained for this purpose in the 15th century, and the activity grew into a sport, resulting in the need for a legal means of management.
Initially, foxhunting was not a favorite sport among hunters, with big game such as deer and smaller animals such as hares higher in the preference ranking (Cox, Grant & Vamplew, 2000). Britain's first foxhunt was the Yorkshire Bilsdale that was founded in the 1670s and was followed up by the Quorn hunt. In 1760, the first enclosure acts were passed. These made it deer hunting harder, and pushed public preference towards foxes. In the 1840s, the Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals is formed, and there began a fierce battle between factions for and against hunting as a recreational activity. In 1831, the law that restricted game hunting is repealed, while the expanding railway network allows hunters and horses greater access to the country, further fueling the preference for foxhunting.
In 1979, the Labor Party's manifesto opposed blood sport for its first time following increased lobbying by independent animal rights group. These campaigns culminated in a vote in the House of Commons in 1995, but the move to ban hunting was defeated. An increased public sentiment backed this campaign, and the labor party, upon elections in 1997, promised to allow parliament make a conclusive decision on the issue. With the government facing increased pressure from both pro and anti-hunting lobbies, a committee was instituted to look into the issue. The 2000 Burns report concluded that hunting compromised the wellbeing of foxes and should only be allowed to proceed under certain conditions (House of Lords Library Notes, 2003). The growing animal rights movement continued to sway public opinion and pressure the government, which finally resulted in the 2004 Hunting act. Although the act does not ban hunting, it sets out numerous conditions and criteria to be observed. It removes many practices that were previously considered cruel and sets out a number of penalties for those who fail to comply.
The slow implementation of legal change reflects Britain’s political landscape and the growing power of public opinion in decision-making processes. Prior to the world wars, there was minimum political will to venture into this avenue, and post-war years also proved similarly fruitless. However, this changed when Tony Blair, on a Labor ticket, was elected as prime minister in 1997. The government was responsible for the formulation of a committee led by Lord Burns. The report detailed the large number of registered hound packs, and the various methods used to hunt foxes, such as flushing them out of their holes (Burns et al., 2008). The direct and indirect economic, farming, cultural and social impacts of foxhunting are discussed, the cruelty of sport analyzed, and alternative means of recreation examined. All these was done with the aim of providing the parliament with an objective platform upon which to base their decisions, and outline possible ways forward in the event that the ban is implemented.
Political interest to instigate change remained low however. Initial introduction of the hunting act was met with resistance by the House of Commons, which claimed it was not part of the political agenda. It soon changed following extensive public interest on the matter, and it was finally enacted following a 373 to 158 victory in the preliminary stage (McGinness, 2000). Political machinations came to play when the bill was dispatched to the house committee. It found it perplexing that Scottish members could vote on a bill that was only to be applied in Wales and England. The committee was also concerned on increasing the number of unnecessary offenses in Britain as this would amount to an extra workload for an already stretched police force. Further, political resistance was raised when opponents decried the hunting bill as the first step towards abolishing all types of blood sports including fishing and shooting. These fears were allayed by the government, whose focus was on the well-being of foxes.
When the bill was brought to another vote, it included three clauses that needed determination. The first clause was for the supervision of hunting, and this was voted down. The second clause was for finding a middle ground between supervising and banning hunting, and it met with resistance. The final clause was on the prohibition of banning, which was favored by most members of parliament, as a vote of 387 to 174 revealed (McGinness, 2003). An analysis of the vote revealed classic political play. The labor party, which is considered the party of working class people, was for prohibition. Inversely, the conservative party, considered the preferred party for the middle and upper classes, voted for the regulation option. The move supported the prevailing argument that fox hunting is mostly practiced by the upper and middle classes (Howe, 1981). In the House of Lords, the option for supervision carried the vote, resulting in its collapse.
The bill was then reintroduced after the 2001 general election, but with numerous alterations that made hunting an offence, but with caveats. A licensing system was to be initiated by the secretary of state. It would be mandated to vet hunts that applied and license them based on their performance in tests to gauge utility and least suffering (McGinness, 2001). In the report stage, the bill was further amended and a clause to completely outlaw the hunting of foxes was inserted. The move was met with resistance, especially i...