The Hunting Act 2004 Investigators Manual was produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers and issued to Forces as a guide to enforcing the Hunting Act 2004. Any decision on making it publicly available is now a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

It is an operational decision for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed and it is for locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners to hold their forces to account, including on how they tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike.

The election of Police and Crime Commissioners has given communities - including those in rural areas - a strong voice in determining how police resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that matter most to them.

The enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 is an operational matter for the police. It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account, including on how they tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike.

If the police face unexpected or exceptional events, there is an established process by which Police and Crime Commissioners can apply for Special Grant funding to help with these costs.

The enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 is an operational matter for the police. It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account, including on how they tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike.

If the police face unexpected or exceptional events, there is an established process by which Police and Crime Commissioners can apply for Special Grant funding to help with these costs.

Trophy hunting was discussed at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Johannesburg last year.

The Conference adopted a Resolution on trade in hunting trophies designed to improve the conservation of target species.

At that same meeting, the UK led negotiations on behalf of the EU on African lions which saw a number of decisions adopted including undertaking a comparative study of lion population trends and conservation and management practices, such as lion hunting, within and between countries.

The UK is a member of the African lion inter-sessional working group set up by the 69th CITES Standing Committee last month, whose work will include developing guidance on trade in, and conservation of, African lions.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June.

The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

There is regular discussion at Cabinet level on international species conservation issues and the illegal wildlife trade, for instance regarding the current consultation on a ban of ivory sale in the UK.

The Hunting Act 2004 bans all hunting of wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions set out in Schedule 1 to the Act.

The enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 is an operational matter for the police. The police have issued guidance to forces dealing with hunting issues in the ‘Hunting Act 2004 Investigators Manual’. Enforcement of the legislation will follow this guidance.

Anyone who believes an offence is taking place or has taken place during a hunt, whether it lies with the hunters or protestors, should report the matter to the police.

The Government does not hold any information on, nor has made any assessment of, the effect of trail hunting.

The Government does not hold any information on, nor has made any assessment of, the effect of trail hunting.

The number of live quarry killed during trail or drag hunting on Ministry of Defence land in the past five years is shown below:

The information requested is not held in the format requested.

Since November 2014, 61 acres of invasive acacia have been removed from the Special Area of Conservation and land managed by the Ministry of Defence at Cape Pyla, an open area of countryside affected by illegal bird trapping. Birdlife Cyprus has undertaken assessments of bird trapping across the whole of Cyprus, including the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA); but they have not yet published any specific data associated with the removal of this acacia at Cape Pyla. Their next set of estimates will be issued early in 2018 after the present migration season has ended.

The SBA Police have separately assessed that up to 40 trappers planted and exploited this acacia at Cape Pyla and, using the Birdlife Cyprus methodology, together with a combination of other measures to counter bird trapping, is resulting in significant numbers of birds being saved. Preliminary assessments from the SBA Police, and noted by various Non-Government Organisations, indicate that bird trapping activity so far during the 2017 autumn migration is lower than in previous years.

Tackling illegal trapping of migratory birds is one of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration's top priorities, with the level of trapping, and plans to counter it, constantly under review.

Bird trapping is a widespread issue across Cyprus and is not confined to the SBAs. The SBA Administration is working hard to counter illegal trapping, last year prosecuting 78 people for trapping and poaching offences, with the SBA Police conducting 39 major clearance operations. This resulted in the seizure of over 1,000 mist-nets and 450 limesticks.

Since 2014, the SBA Administration has cleared approximately 61 acres of invasive non-native acacia planted by bird trappers to attract birds and has begun a programme to remove irrigation piping, which promotes growth of invasive acacia.

Illegal trapping of migratory songbirds is one of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration's priorities. The SBA Administration prosecuted 78 people for bird trapping and poaching offences in the SBA last year and the SBA Police conducted 39 major mist netting clearance operations, resulting in the seizure of over 1,000 mist-nets and over 450 limesticks. This enforcement has impacted on bird trapping activity and this kind of intervention is continuing during this year's autumn migration. In addition to last year's successful use of motion activated cameras to catch trappers at Cape Pyla ranges, a SBA Police drone has been acquired and has provided enhanced capability to track and catch those carrying out this activity across the Eastern SBA.

The Administration has also begun a programme to remove irrigation piping, which is placed by trappers to promote the growth of invasive acacia bushes, which are used by birds for roosting. Since July 2017, soldiers in support of the civil administration successfully destroyed up to 5.8km of irrigation piping on the Cape Pyla ranges during night time operations. This has already resulted in a significant deterioration and withering of many acacia bushes, and they can no longer be used for bird trapping.