The UK Government has unveiled its long-awaited Animal Welfare Strategy, setting out a series of measures that campaigners say marks a turning point for protecting wildlife in England’s uplands.

Among the most significant proposals is a ban on the use of snares – wire nooses designed to trap animals by the neck or body until they are killed. Long criticised by conservationists, snares are widely regarded as both cruel and indiscriminate. While often set to target focuses, their indiscriminate nature means they can also ensure non-target species, including badgers, hares and otters.

Their use is particularly associated with grouse shooting on upland moorland estates, where predators are routinely removed in an effort to maximise game bird numbers for sport. Critics have long challenged the ethics of this year-round campaign to eradicate predators.

The strategy also promises greater protection for hares through the introduction of a closed shooting season. This would make it illegal to kill hares during breeding months, when populations are at their most vulnerable.

Although the large-scale culls of mountain hares once seen in parts of Scotland do not occur in England, killing of the species still takes place. This is most evident on grouse moors in the Peak District National Park, which is home to England’s only mountain hare population.