Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of use of (a) snare traps and (b) other inhumane forms of animal trap.

In 2012 Defra published a report titled “Determining the Extent of Use and Humaneness of Snares in England and Wales”. This report estimated that at any one time and depending on the season, between 62,800 and 188,300 fox snares were being used in England, the maximum occurring in March.

A survey conducted as part of this report suggests that rabbit snares were in use on 1,567 holdings in England, with an average of 12 snares being set at any one time on each of these holdings.

Defra has not undertaken any more recent research into the number of snares being used and therefore cannot provide an assessment on trends in snare use.

When used improperly, snares can cause immense suffering and the Government is looking at whether changes are needed to address these concerns. The Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published last year, included an ambition to conduct a call for evidence on the use of snares and this will be launched in due course.

In terms of other inhumane forms of animal trap, my department is supporting the Glue Traps (Offences) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Jane Stevenson MP last year, to restrict the use of glue traps as a means of pest control to help make sure rodents are despatched in a humane manner.

Glue traps can cause immense suffering to rodents and other animals that inadvertently fall victim to their use. While the Government does not hold any official data on total glue trap sales, conversations with stakeholders have suggested that at least 250,000 glue boards were sold each year in the UK between 2017 – 2020.