Defra Steps Up Its English Snare Ban Pledge but Sets No Date

Defra minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter said in a written parliamentary answer Oct. 28 that the department is "actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible," Shooting UK reported Oct. 29. The government's commitment to end snare use in England dates to a July 1, 2026 answer and its December 2025 Animal Welfare Strategy, so only the urgency is new, and a ban still needs primary legislation with no bill or date named. Gamekeepers use code-compliant humane cable restraints for fox control, particularly in spring around ground-nesting birds, and Wales banned snares in October 2023.