Government rejects call to ban catapults

A petition calling for a blanket ban on the sale and possession of all catapults, which had attracted almost 20,000 signatures on the Government website, has been rejected by ministers who acknowledged that such a move would unfairly restrict “the legitimate desire of anglers and others to continue using catapults for normal pastimes and leisure pursuits”.

The petition called upon the government to “make the sale of catapults/ammunition and carrying catapults in public illegal.” The full wording can be seen here.

This rejection of the petition follows representations from the Angling Trust who pointed out that catapults have been used for many years in angling without problems, and that there is a considerable difference between harmless catapults used for feeding a swim with maggots or hemp, and sling-shots designed to propel a heavy projectile designed to cause injury.

The Government response, which was published on 3rd April, pointed out that there was sufficient legislation already on the statute book to deal with misuse of catapults against animals. It stated:

Catapults should never be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property, and there are already a range of laws in place to punish those who do so. For example, under provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the police have broad powers to deal with offences where unnecessary suffering and injury is inflicted on wildlife, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.

Welcoming the news Angling Trust CEO, Jamie Cook, said:

“It’s good to see common sense prevailing with ministers acknowledging the importance of not restricting the rights of anglers to use an important piece of fishing equipment like the small, soft mesh catapults we use.”

Catapults have been used for many years in angling without any problems

The Government response in full

The Government shares the deep concerns raised by the petitioners over the appalling spate of incidents of swans and other wildlife being attacked with catapults, and we condemn the thugs responsible for such vile and cowardly crimes.

Catapults should never be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property, and there are already a range of laws in place to punish those who do so. For example, under provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the police have broad powers to deal with offences where unnecessary suffering and injury is inflicted on wildlife, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.

However, it is also the case that catapults are also routinely used by members of the public enjoying legitimate pastimes, in particular for anglers when propelling fishing bait. In considering this petition, therefore, the Government has to balance the entirely legitimate objective of the petitioners to see catapults and catapult ammunition kept out of the hands of individuals who will misuse it, with the equally legitimate desire of anglers and others to continue using catapults for normal pastimes and leisure pursuits.

At present, the Government believes the current legislation in this area strikes the correct balance between these two objectives, and we therefore do not intend to accept the petitioners’ proposal at this time, but we will continue to keep this issue under review, including all relevant legislation that applies in this area.

In the meantime, the Government is determined to crack down on attacks on wildlife and other types of crime that have gone unaddressed for too long in rural areas.

The Government is currently working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on the new iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which is due to be published in the coming months, and we are also continuing to support the work of the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which provides intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.

The National Rural Crime Unit will receive £365k from the Home Office in the financial year 2025-26, the first new funding since the unit was established in 2023, and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, will receive funding of £450k from the Home Office in the financial year 2025-26, a 21% increase on the previous financial year.