Hi Penny
It does seem a bit daft that the petition can’t continue after the election. I don’t really see the logic. It just seems a lot of work wasted. I only took one of your posters to a pet shop yesterday, before I had seen the notice on the petition site. I suppose I will have to go round and collect them all again now.
My latest letter from Defra said the usual – that trappers are ‘legally obliged to take reasonable steps to exclude non-target species. Therefore, they must attempt to set the trap in a way that excludes hedgehogs. If they cannot do this then they should consider not using the trap or using it in areas where hedgehogs are not present.’
I can’t understand how they cannot see how crazy that is, when hedgehogs can be just about anywhere – especially anywhere where there are rats and stoats. Why would they licence a trap when there is almost nowhere where it could sensibly (legally) be used. Also the people buying the traps are not necessarily told about the trap being used to kill hedgehogs in New Zealand.
And, by the way, they said: ‘Anyone who believes an offence has taken place should report the matter to the police as they are the enforcing authority.’
