Alliance South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw has condemned the destruction of natural habitats along the Lagan near Stranmillis Weir and called for a funded implementation plan to assist restoration. Last week, as part of flood alleviation work, the Department for Infrastructure removed hedgerows and trees that were previously home to a variety of wildlife. “Local […]
The Alliance Party has launched a petition aiming to garner support to outlaw hunting wild mammals with dogs – a move Councillor Patrick Brown has said is long overdue. Speaking ahead of the annual Boxing Day hunts, the Alliance Party’s animal welfare spokesperson spoke of his disappointment that another year has gone by without the […]
Alliance MLA, John Blair has encouraged the public to sign a petition calling for a ban on hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland. The call comes after his historic Bill, to ban the hunting of wild mammals with dogs, was blocked by Stormont. The proposed legislation was debated in the Assembly on Monday 6 December, […]
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA will submit a petition to the Assembly this week, opposing badger cull proposed by an Executive Department. Organised by USPCA and Ulster Wildlife, Mr Blair pledged his support and to bring it to the Assembly floor after the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) revealed plans of […]
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA has encouraged the public to sign a petition opposing a badger cull proposed by an Executive Department. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) recently announced the plan as part of its bovine TB eradication strategy. It would see the introduction of an indiscriminate badger cull, using […]
Alliance MLA John Blair has said the proposed culling of badgers, as part of a strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from Northern Ireland, is “morally indefensible”. He was speaking after the launch of a consultation into the strategy by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Mr Blair said whilst he was supportive of […]
Alliance MLA John Blair MLA has welcomed the launch of a consultation on proposals to protect service animals whilst on active duty. Mr Blair, Chair of the Assembly’s All-Party Group on Animal Welfare, said the animals carried out invaluable work putting them in unpredictable and often dangerous situations. “The service animals play an essential role […]
Almost 80 per cent of respondents to a consultation are in favour of banning hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland, Alliance MLA John Blair has revealed. Mr Blair’s proposed Private Member’s Bill seeks to outlaw the practice, which is legal in Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK in which it is. The South […]
Alliance Councillor Julian McGrath has said more must be done to ensure those convicted of animal cruelty can never own pets again. Securing cross-party support from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Councillors to press Stormont for further clarity on the issue, Julian said urgent action was needed to plug the current gaps in Northern Ireland’s animal […]
A ban on hunting wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland is long overdue, Alliance MLA John Blair has said, as he announced his plans to bring a Private Members’ Bill to outlaw the practice. Northern Ireland is currently the only part of the UK without such a ban, with widespread public support to ban […]