That this House notes with concern that the brown hare is the only game species in England and Wales without a statutory close season, leaving pregnant does and nursing mothers liable to be shot during the breeding season and their leverets to starve; recognises that hares are sentient animals capable of suffering; further notes that the shooting of pregnant does and nursing mothers during the breeding season raises significant animal welfare concerns; understands that the brown hare population has declined by an estimated 80% over the past century to fewer than 500,000, with illegal hare coursing placing further pressure on the species; recognises that the brown hare is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species and forms part of the Government's indicators for legally binding species abundance targets; observes that Scotland and Northern Ireland have protected hares since 2011, as do most European countries; welcomes the intention in the Animal Welfare Strategy for England to consider bringing forward a close season for hares; also notes that the Government's concurrent consultation on firearms licensing, including the reclassification of shotguns, provides an opportunity to increase the protection of quarry species during their breeding season; regrets the omission of any close season measure from the King's Speech; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity establishing a statutory close season for hare shooting so that leverets born this spring and in future years receive the legal protection on which the species' survival depends.
