'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
DUBLIN, Jan 19 (AFP) – French former film star Brigitte Bardot has pledged her support for an Irish campaign against the use of live hares in greyhound coursing, it said on Wednesday.
The latest newsletter of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) said it was delighted at her support for its campaign.
“Brigitte has signed our ‘Stop the Terror – Ban Hare Coursing’ campaign postcard”, according to the newsletter.
A copy of the card has been sent to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Environment Minister Dick Roche.
“In a letter received by ICABS from Paris-based Fondation Brigitte Bardot, it was stated that “Brigitte Bardot supports the banning of hare coursing and the use of an artificial lure instead”.
Thanking her for the “positive gesture”, the ICABS said it hoped it would encourage many others to come forward and work to ban live coursing.
The Council has been campaigning for years to get the government to ban the live coursing of hares by greyhounds at meetings around Ireland.
In parliament last month, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent asked Roche to stop issuing coursing licences as hares suffered from a stress induced condition called myopathy that led to a high mortality.
Roche said his ministry oversees the capturing of live hares by coursing clubs under the 1976 Wildlife Act.
“There is no evidence to date that hare coursing in Ireland adversely impacts on the conservation of hare populations and there are no proposals to change existing arrangements for the licensed netting of wild hares for live hare coursing,” Roche said.
Bardot, 71, the original “sex kitten” of the cinema, retired in 1973 and has since devoted herself to the safety and protection of animals.
Her foundation campaigns against the killing of seals in Canada, backs a sanctuary for dancing bears in Bulgaria, is involved in animal refuges and stray cat sterilisation campaigns and is active in 14 countries.
It has over 57,000 donors in over 60 countries.
With headquarters in Paris, the foundation also takes legal action on behalf of animals with the help of inspectors spread out all over France.
© AFP
Subject: French News