The National Trust Lose Trust in “Trail Hunting”

The Board of the National Trust have ratified the members vote from the recent AGM and banned “trail hunting” on the organisation’s 620,000 acres of land.

Members voted by 76,816 to 38,184 in favour of banning trail hunting on National Trust land  at the October AGM. 

Harry Bowell, Director of Land and Nature said

“The board of trustees has carefully considered this issue. Its decision to issue no further licences for trail hunting is based on a wide range of considerations. These include – but are not limited to – a loss of trust and confidence in the MFHA, which governs trail hunting, the vote by National Trust members at our recent AGM, the considerable resources needed to facilitate trail hunting and the reputational risk of this activity continuing on our land.”

In the past week alone Natural Resources Wales, Malvern Hills Trust and now the National Trust have banned hunts from their land, Sleaford Town Council voted unanimously to deny the Blankney Hunt access on New Years Day and Keswick Town Council have written to the Blencathra Hunt and informed them they’re no longer welcome in the town.

Lee Moon, Hunt Saboteurs Association spokesperson stated:

“The National Trust board have made the only conscionable decision, listened to their membership and permanently banned “trail hunting” from the organisations 620,000 acres. Along with the recent Natural Resources Wales decision over a million acres of countryside have been denied to hunts with more to surely follow.

Our next target will be the MOD who, despite appearing indifferent to public opinion, cannot continue to facilitate illegal hunting on their land.

We expect to see some hunts fold completely and others face an increasingly difficult future as they struggle for land on which to carry out their illegal acts.

We’re increasingly seeing councils deny the hunts use of their facilities on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, further sign if any were needed, that ordinary people are sick of the hunting community and their blatant disregard for the law.”