INTRODUCTION

This M.o.U enables a distinction to be drawn between the role of governance and management which is implemented through hunting’s governing bodies who are represented on the CHA Committee, and the wider role of the promotion and defence of hunting which is implemented by the CA in the context of other country sports and rural life generally.

The CA and the CHA have an obligation to ensure that these distinct roles work together effectively and cohesively, particularly in the fields of politics, public relations and media management, education activities and the building of public confidence, and the encouragement of conservation, biodiversity and habitat management.

The members of the CHA represent the governing bodies of each of the legal methods of hunting with dogs that are members of I.S.A.H.

This Memorandum constitutes an agreement between the Countryside Alliance (CA) and the Council of Hunting Associations (CHA), which sets out the roles and responsibilities of each organisation.

Its aim is to ensure that the missions of the CA and the CHA are understood and that procedures are established to co-ordinate their respective objectives and roles, so that all legal practices of hunting with dogs are effectively promoted and defended.

The mission of the CA is to "champion the countryside, country sports and the rural way of life". The CA recognises the importance of promoting all country sports within the context of rural life. The CA is governed by a Board and carries out its policies through its Chief Executive and his staff.

The mission of the CHA is to further the combined interests of all those who hunt with dogs within the law. The CHA requiresthat the practices of its members are conducted to the highest standards. Because it represents the interests of all hunting disciplines, it will ensure a consistent approach to the implementation of best practice.

In conjunction with the CA, the CHA will also promote the understanding of the practices, values and benefits of hunting to enhance public confidence in them. The CHA operates through a formally constituted Committee comprising each Chairman, or other nominated representative, of its full and affiliated member organisations.

The CA and the CHA recognise that:

1. Hunting in all its forms creates beneficial impacts on wildlife management, conservation and the social, cultural, recreational and economic framework of rural communities.
2. There needs to be public confidence that hunting is carried out humanely and in accordance with published Rules and Codes of Conduct.
3. There is the need to continue the supervision of all forms of hunting under a respected and transparent independent authority.
4. Politicians have put hunting on the public agenda and, in a modern and mainly urban society, hunting may not always be readily understood by a proportion of the population.

Further, it is agreed that all those involved in the governance and promotion of hunting recognise that there is the need for openness and accountability to the wider public.

1. The cohesion of political information and response.

Relevant representatives of the CA and CHA will meet regularly to review political activity and to decide on how best to formulate responses, either individually or jointly The CA will provide the CHA with regular information bulletins on activity in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies and will keep the CHA fully briefed on its activities. Both organisations will share relevant information and co-ordinate all their interaction with Government, Ministers and Members of Parliament.

2. The cohesion of public relations and media management.

Relevant and agreed representatives of the CA and the CHA will regularly review press coverage on hunting, and other countryside issues. The CA will be responsible for developing a joint programme of briefings for targeted journalists and other media outlets. On "breaking news" the CA and the CHA will agree rapidly co-ordinated responses with the CA briefing spokespeople. The objective will be to ensure that the most appropriate individuals take the lead on each particular issue.

3. The development and implementation of public awareness and educational activities.

The CA and the CHA will collaborate on the distribution of information packs into educational establishments. They will work together to develop new approaches that can be used at country shows, game fairs and their urban equivalents. The Hunting and the Community (HATC) project will be the primary vehicle to see through and monitor these initiatives.

4. The building of public confidence in all forms of legal hunting.

The CHA will work to ensure that all its members have Rules, Codes of Conduct and effective disciplinary procedures and that they are enforceable. The CA will work with the CHA to ensure that these regulatory measures are well presented and understood both by the hunting community and the wider public.

The CHA will oversee the process of establishing high standards of welfare and behaviour in its members hunting practices through regular programmes of Field and Kennel Visits.

5. The encouragement of conservation, biodiversity and habitat management.

The CHA is self-financed through annual subscriptions from its members and contributions from the recognised hunts.

IMPLEMENTATION

To ensure that the objectives set out in this Memorandum are implemented they will be regularly reviewed at CHA committee meetings with the CA. The CHA Committee may call on other individuals where their specialist knowledge and expertise is required to address specific issues.

Agreed CHA Committee meeting 2^nd March 2004