Wild animal welfare after the election

The WAWC has published a new policy briefing with 14 recommendations for improving and promoting the welfare of wild animals in the UK after the 2024 general election. Some of the recommendations cover longstanding issues, such as the need to end the badger cull, strengthen the Hunting Act 2004, consolidate outdated wildlife legislation and ban snares outright. We also repeat our call, first made in 2018, for a wholesale review of the use of lethal and non-lethal wild animal traps in the UK.

There are detailed recommendations intended to improve the welfare of marine mammals in UK waters and around the world, by addressing bycatch, unregulated wildlife tours, and the problem of commercial whaling.

Underpinning our recommendations is the need to apply ethical principles of wildlife control to interventions affecting free-living wild animals.

WAWC chair Dr Pete Goddard said:

“WAWC has published these recommendations as an aide-memoire on priorities for elected representatives after 4 July. There is widespread concern, not only about the environmental and conservation implications of the UK’s ongoing nature depletion, but also about the welfare of the sentient individuals caught up in the process. Attitudes to wild animals have changed over the last couple of decades and viewing some species as ‘pests’ while cherishing others is becoming increasingly outmoded. Sentient animals have the capacity to feel and to suffer and we must take responsibility for our impact on these individuals.

“I hope our MPs, Ministers and officials will find this summary useful and, of course, WAWC members will be keen to engage with public policy development as the new government is established.”