Call on the National Trust to end hunting

Volunteers and staff from the animal welfare charity, gathered at the National Trust’s site, to urge members of the public to take action and sign up to its campaign.

Nick Weston, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “We were given an enthusiastic reception by members of the public. Many were keen to listen to our concerns and were shocked to discover that hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

“The vast majority of people that we spoke to are National Trust members, who enthusiastically signed up to our campaign.”

Votes cast by Northern Ireland residents could be the deciding factor in whether hunts continue to be allowed on National Trust land in England and Wales under the guise of trail hunting.

The day of action at the Causeway is one of a series of League actions taking place ahead of the National Trust’s AGM in October, when there will be a vote in which members will get the chance to call for a permanent ban on the licensing of trail hunting in England and Wales.

Nick added: “Although fox hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland, members of the National Trust can still have their say in the upcoming AGM.”

A fox hunting ban outlawed fox hunting in England and Wales in 2005 but in the 2019/20 season, the League Against Cruel Sports compiled figures revealing 485 separate eye-witness accounts of suspected illegal hunting.

Nick Weston added: “The overwhelming majority of the public oppose fox hunting and it’s time to consign this barbaric activity to the history books for good.”