Endangered Exmoor's First Stage Submission
to The Committee of Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs

February 2000
Endangered Exmoor: the place, the people who live and work there, the red deer herd, its culture and way of life - all threatened should hunting be banned. Endangered Exmoor: an organisation formed by Exmoor people as a result of the findings from an independent research team who looked at the economic, social and environmental aspects of hunting with hounds which was published last year by the West Somerset District Council. It is impossible to know Exmoor and to remain ignorant of the central and pervasive role that hunting and the hunts have in the daily lives of those of us who live on the moor. For many people, and for several centuries, Exmoor and hunting have been synonymous.

Thanks to the foresight of the West Somerset District Council (WSDC), Exmoor is in the unique position of being the only area in England to have facts, figures and unbiased market research to support what has long been known - that hunting provides community, stability, social cohesion, local opportunity, and a sustainable and well-managed wildlife. Now Endangered Exmoor is actively campaigning to alert as many people both here and abroad of the WSDC report and the potentially disastrous consequences of a ban.

In response to the pertinent questions on the Rural Economy and the Social & Cultural Life of the Countryside, Endangered Exmoor would like to submit the following evidence:

Rural Economy

The WSDC report found that 414 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs would be lost directly and indirectly by a ban, and perhaps as many as 800 people in part-time employment would suffer from a ban. Not only jobs, but 22 tied houses urrently housing hunt staff would be lost. Further housing for privately employed roos would also be lost.

At the heart of Exmoor is the small, thriving hill village of Exford. The Devon & Somerset Staghound Kennels are situated here. The WSDC report estimates that in this village alone, a minimum of 38 FTEs plus private rooms' jobs are supported by hunting. An astonishing 39% of Exford businesses indicated that hunting was of great importance to their survival, and one-third or more of all local business turnover was attributed to by hunting.

following the WSDC's example, further research was carried out by Endangered Exmoor. These are our findings:

1. Employment:
   One small example is that of a local farrier, Colin Dayment, on Exmoor whose family business was established in 1904. 80% of his shoeing business covers two hunt stables and the hunt followers of seven packs of hounds. A ban on hunting would cripple his business. Figures given by other businesses should a ban be implemented are as follows:

• Phil Carr, Farrier, Anstey Mills - losses of 25-35%
• J Coles, Feed Merchants, South Molton - losses of 5-10%
• Winston Pincombe, Landrover and Ifor Williams Agent, Service & Vehicle Repairs - losses of 30-40%
• Graham Heal, Hunter Improvement Society Stud (HIS), High Bickington, Devon -losses of 40-50%
• Neil Harris, Trainr & Jockey, Point-to-Point Yard, South Molton - losses of 90%
• Mole Valley farmers, Farmers Co-operative, Equine & Feed Dept - losses of 40-50%
• Local Petrol Stations - losses of 10%+
• Acorn Saddlers, South Molton - losses of 35-55%
• Orswell, Outside Caterers, South Molton - losses of 40-50%
• Mr Loftus, Osteopath, South Molton - losses of 20%
• Pidlers Jewellery, Trophies & Mementos, South Molton - losses of 5%

Pledgers and Arthur Cottam, Midlands, suppliers of horseshoes and nails declared that their losses throughout the British Isles would result in their closure within a very short period.

Other Testimonies

• Michael Bradley, joint proprietor of The Crown Hotel in Exford, employs 22 people on an all year round basis. He states that without field sports this number would be cut by at least one-third. The Crown Hotel could not survive without field sports as conventional tourism accounts for only five to six months of the year. Without hunting the hotel would not be able to stay open for 12 months of the year and staff would have to be laid off during the quiet periods. Mr. Bradley's wage bill is £180,000 per annum, most of which goes straight back into the local economy.

• Brian Crawford, BVM&S., MRCVS., Veterinary Surgeon, Barnstaple, reports that his scattered and specialist practice deals only with horses, with 30% of ailments and injuries to hunters, 30% with Point-to-Point and National Hunt horses (which evolve from hunters), 30% stud work dealing with brood mares to produce the next generation of hunters and point-to-pointers, and 10% with Pony Club mounts, Riding Club and pleasure horses. Any proposed legislation to ban hunting would cause his practice to "shrivel and die".

• Even though shooting is not within the remit of the Burns Inquiry, it is abundantly clear how much Exmoor is dependant on field sports for its survival. Sporting visitors bring in excess of £8 million every year from shooting; combine that with £5.5 million that the WSDC estimates comes to Exmoor from hunting to reach a figure of £13.5 million. This huge sum goes straight into he rural economy and represents a significant proportion of the revenue which supports an otherwise poor, rural upland farming area which remains in the depths of a farming depression.

2. Property Market:

A ban on huntingwould cause the value of properties on Exmoor to decline. The amount of fall in terms of value is difficult to calculate, but could be as much as 30%. [See Property Report prepapred by James Green, FRICS., FAAV., Partner of Stags Estate Agent]

Social & Cultural Life of the Countryside:

The WSDC Report states that 75% of respondents considered their local hunts to be "extremely" or "very" important to their social activities. Endangered Exmoor has been given figures from the Exmoor Foxhounds and Devon & Somerset Staghounds (two of the most prominent packs of hounds on Exmoor) as to net profit and attendance figures for Whist Drives and Point-to-Points, as follows:

34 whist Drives furing five winter months with an average attendance per night of 80. The average net profit is £5,000 per season.

Point-to-Point Races are an integral part of hunting. Owners who wish to race their horses must subscribe to a hunt, and the horses themselves are required to hunt a certain number of days to qualify. Once qualified, the owner receives a hunter's Certificate and must register their horse with the Jockey Club.

The Exmoor Foxhounds' Point-to-Point averages a net profit for this one day's racing of between £5,000 to £6,000. The average atrendance is 5,000 people.

The Devon & Somerset Staghounds had a 1999 net profit of £6,5000 with an attendance of between 3,5000 to 4,000 people at their Point-to-Point.

By far the larger proportion of social events on Exmoor are organised by the Exmoor Hunts, drawing in people from all over this sparsley populated national Park. They include:

Dances, discos, quiz nights, sheep dog trial, horse shows, gymkhanas and hunter trials. Coffee mornings, pledges auctions, gift sales, sponsored rides, hunt breakfasts, skittles, duck races, cheese & wine parties, cream teas, garden visits, open days at racing yards, fashion shows, pantomimes, puppy shows, hound trailing

Testimony from Drs. Ashton, Burton and Thomson:

"This general medical practice covers 300 sq. miles of rural Exmoor and the surrounding district, in which more than 6 packs of hounds regularly operate providing a focal meeting point for people from the isolated farms and villages, the hunt and its life being integrated into the community and economic structure of the area. The impact of a ban on hunting on the hunt employees and related trades including hoteliers is obvious, but this would affect every part of this community.

Exmoor is an area of rural deprivation with small economically vulnerable subsistence hill farmers - the environment provides little opportunity of diversification, and low level farming incomes have always been supplemented with income derived from visitors and fields sports. All these people are part of a proud cohesive community whose traditions and way of life contrive to conserve the national park which so many visitors come to enjoy. This way of life is under very serious threat.

All the partners in the practice endorse the importance of this Inquiry and are in no doubt that a ban on hunting would result in substantial and critical economic deprivation and a substantial increase in stress, depression and suicide in this community, already under pressure from agricultural policies. This would be comparable with studies showing increased morbidity and mortality in mining communities following the economically necessary closure of coal mines. A ban on hunting heralds no such economic benefit, in fact would be detrimental to the Exmoor economy and would cricitucally damage this community, without any alternative provision for social support or access to cultural sports or leisure facilities."

Testimony from an Exmoor Clergyman:

"As a clergyman for twenty-six years, I have to say that I have never worked in an area with such obvious social cohesion. This is, in part, due to the remoteness of these moorland communities; but is also demonstrably due to the involvement of a significant propoertion of the population here, in the maintenance of hunting with hounds - seven different packs will, at some time during the year, hunt over the area in which I am Rector. This not only provides a common unifying threat throughout the Exmoor area (and beyond), but also generates most of the social activities that are vital to the well-being of any rural community. In addition, those who support the hunts have a strong and justifiable sense of being the traditional guardians of Exmoor's wildlife. Should hunting with hounds be banned it would be a body-blow to these knowledgeable people and would severely diminish the unity of these remote Exmoor communities."

Property Report from James Green, Partner of Stags, Dulverton:

"Property is a commodity which, like all commodities, responds to he basic laws of economics. On Exmoor we have ery restrictive planning laws which limit severely the opportunity for new dwellings so the commodity, the property, can be defined as finitie. The price of a finite supply reacts to aailability and demand.

Since 1996 when the property market stabilised after the early 1990's crash, availability of property on Exmoor has been at a consistent level year on year, and in normal circumstances I would expect that to remain so. This reflects the usual reasons for sale, such as death, change of family circumstances, etc. However, increasing demand from wealthy people in London and the Home Counties has eased prices upwards over the last 18 months in certain sectors, such as second homes, good quality country houses and equestrian properties.

Buyers with sporting interests such as hunting, shooting and fishing compete on equal terms with those that have no such interest but are simply coming to Exmoor for its beauty and protection against new development due to its National Park status. I antici[ate this trend continuing. However, if there was a ban on hunting the picture changes quickly. Many people on Exmoor would lose their reason to be here and a number I have spoken to have indicated a move to Ireland as an alternative. The effect would be an increased availability of property on the market.

Equally, on the other side of the quation, a whole sector of buyers are taken out of the market with no reason to buy on Exmoor. Greater availability of supply, linked to a lesser demand leads to reduced prices in accordance with the law of economics. We know this happens by looking back to the era of 1989 to 1995 in the national property market. I am convinced, therefore, that if there was a ban on hunting the value of properties on Exmoor would fall. The amount of fall in terms of value is difficult to calculate but I would not be suprised if it was 25-30%.

A ban on hunting would also lead to a massive loss of confidence for shooting and fishing and, therefore, there is a knock on effect that will further compound the availability and demand aspects leading, I believe, to an additional fall in values by perhaps a further 10-15%.

Conclusion - A Final Comment
A fall in values on the face of it could be seen as an advantage to local people, who presently cannot compete with home counties wealth. However, without jobs on Exmoor, and the WSDC's independent report indicates 400-800 hunting dependent jobs, local people will gravitate away in search of work, and have no means of affording an Exmoor property, even at a lower purchase price. The consequence will be that cheaper properties will be more attractive to a different type of buyer, the 2nd home buyer, again based on earnings and wealth generated elsewhere.

The trend would be of little benefit to the Exmoor community. Visits and use of second homes are infrequent at best outside of traditional holiday weeks, or for sporting activities. Many fill up with groceries at their local Sainsburys, top up with cheaper fuel in Taunton, reducing their spend locally to perhaps a meal at one of the local restaurants.

The sporting visitor, however, puts money into the local community in terms of subscriptions, shooting fees, hirelings, etc. all of which generate the jobs to service this major recreation and maintain a strong community, even balanced in age to the benefit of village schools, halls, and all businesses.

Exmoor annot afford to lose hunting, shooting and fishing. All sports must stand together. if hunting goes, property prices will fail, to no-one's advantage locally, sporting visitors will not come and those that replace them are unlikely to stimulate the employment opportunities.

With no work our young people will drift away and the communities will lose their hear and slowly disintegrate.

Let those who would destroy our way of life understand: To the Endangered of Exmoor, the word 'hunting' means many things - horses, hounds, foxes, deer, hare, all in healthy abundance because of it. 'Hunting' also means work, not unemployment; community, not isolation; common culture, not rootless alienation.

2nd Stage Submission