The Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration continues to make significant efforts to prevent the trapping and killing of wild birds in the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus, using increased enforcement and denial of trapping opportunities. These were recently recognised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife Cyprus, with an estimated 70% reduction in bird trapping in the SBA last year and a significant decrease in bird deaths from 880,000 in 2016 to 121,000 in 2018. The SBA Police continues to seek improved evidence collection using enhanced surveillance equipment, resulting in greater fixed penalty notices or court sentences. The programme of seizing bird trapping equipment continues, as will the extensive patrolling by the SBA Police during the migratory seasons. The SBA Administration will remove piping laid by bird trappers to illegally irrigate invasive acacia trees used to attract birds. To-date, approximately 89 kilometres of irrigation piping within the Cape Pyla range area in the Dhekelia SBA has been removed, which has resulted in significant die-back of acacia trees. Subject to assessments on safety and security, acacia trees will also continue to be removed from the Special Areas of Conservation in the SBA. The SBA Administration is also developing a management plan for Cape Pyla, which will examine the opportunities to improve habitat management for the migratory birds and explore any eco-tourism initiatives that might arise. All opportunities will be taken to enhance the excellent cooperation between the SBA Administration, the RSPB, BirdLife Cyprus and other NGOs involved in preventing illegal bird trapping.

We plan to lay the Leghold Trap and Pelt Imports (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 before Parliament to come into force on 29 March 2019.

This legislation will ensure that leghold traps will continue to be prohibited. We will continue to ban the introduction into the UK of pelts and manufactured goods incorporating such pelts of certain wild animal species, unless the pelts originate from an approved country (and are accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by exporting and re-exporting competent authorities).

Defra is working with the devolved administrations to ensure a smooth and consistent transition for the whole of the UK.

Natural England has published guidance to provide clear direction to those licensed to carry out the cage-trapping and dispatch of badgers to prevent the spread of bovine TB in cattle. It provides recommendations on best practice and highlights those areas of the technique that must be complied with, including licence conditions. The guidance ensures that licensed badger culling is done in a humane way, including reducing the risks of trapped badgers suffering exposure due to severe weather (extremes of hot or cold). Natural England keeps this under review during the course of licensed operations.

We recently consulted on the implementation of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) and will be introducing legislation to implement the trapping standards set out in AIHTS into UK domestic legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the consultation this summer.

We already test spring traps to the same welfare standards as set out in AIHTS. Implementation of AIHTS will also introduce new welfare standards for live capture traps for species covered by the Agreement.

We already implement Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 (“the Leghold Trap Regulation”). The Regulation prohibits the use of leghold traps in the EU, as well as the importation of pelts of certain species from countries which permit the use of leghold traps or methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards. We will ensure the operability of the Leghold Trap Regulation in UK domestic legislation post EU Exit.

Becoming a full party to AIHTS would require the Government to ensure the UK had no restrictive trade measures on fur imports from the other contracting parties. This would therefore prohibit any future Government from introducing a comprehensive ban on fur imports, should it wish to do so.

We recently consulted on the implementation of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) and will be introducing legislation to implement the trapping standards set out in AIHTS into UK domestic legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the consultation this summer.

We already test spring traps to the same welfare standards as set out in AIHTS. Implementation of AIHTS will also introduce new welfare standards for live capture traps for species covered by the Agreement.

We already implement Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 (“the Leghold Trap Regulation”). The Regulation prohibits the use of leghold traps in the EU, as well as the importation of pelts of certain species from countries which permit the use of leghold traps or methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards. We will ensure the operability of the Leghold Trap Regulation in UK domestic legislation post EU Exit.

Becoming a full party to AIHTS would require the Government to ensure the UK had no restrictive trade measures on fur imports from the other contracting parties. This would therefore prohibit any future Government from introducing a comprehensive ban on fur imports, should it wish to do so.

We recently consulted on the implementation of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) and will be introducing legislation to implement the trapping standards set out in AIHTS into UK domestic legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the consultation this summer.

We already test spring traps to the same welfare standards as set out in AIHTS. Implementation of AIHTS will also introduce new welfare standards for live capture traps for species covered by the Agreement.

We already implement Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 (“the Leghold Trap Regulation”). The Regulation prohibits the use of leghold traps in the EU, as well as the importation of pelts of certain species from countries which permit the use of leghold traps or methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards. We will ensure the operability of the Leghold Trap Regulation in UK domestic legislation post EU Exit.

Becoming a full party to AIHTS would require the Government to ensure the UK had no restrictive trade measures on fur imports from the other contracting parties. This would therefore prohibit any future Government from introducing a comprehensive ban on fur imports, should it wish to do so.