Hunting for pleasure should be banned and the list of animals which can be hunted without a licence should be scrapped, according to the ruling Labour party, together with the D66 Liberals and green party GroenLinks.

The ban is one of a number of measures contained in a new strategy document on managing nature drawn up by the three parties.

According to RTL news, some 30,000 people in the Netherlands hunt for pleasure. In their document, the three parties say hunting should only be sanctioned if it is really necessary to cull a particular species and the ‘free hunt’ for rabbits, ducks, deer and other animals should be stopped.

Simplified

The call for a ban on hunting is part of a wider document entitled Mooi Nederland (Beautiful Netherlands) which calls for a more cohesive and simplified approach to the natural environment.

The document also calls for replacing the current term Ecologische Hoofdstructuur – used to define the development of a network of national parks, rural areas and nature reserves – with the more-easily understood Natuurnetwerk Nederland.

The package, which has been welcomed by the Dutch natural heritage group Natuurmonumenten, will be presented to junior economic affairs minister Sharon Dijksma later on Monday.