A Queen's University College study saying that hare coursing presents no threat to the Irish hare population has been angrily rejected by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports.
The research team, led by Dr Neil Reid of the school of biological sciences, said mortality during coursing removed less than 0.1 per cent of the total adult hare population annually.
The study, assessing the levels of hare mortality during coursing, analysed records and independent video footage collected over 20 years. This was to "evaluate efforts made by the Irish Coursing Club [ ICC] to improve animal welfare and decrease the number of hares killed".
The study, published in the journal Animal Welfare, showed that when the ICC introduced compulsory muzzling of greyhounds in 1993, mortality dropped from 16 per cent to 4 per cent.
"Further reductions in mortality since then may be attributed to improved care in captivity," the report added.
"The most recent estimates of the hare population of Ireland suggest that mortality during coursing removes less than 0.1 per cent of the total adult population annually," Dr Reid said. "Therefore, at its current level, mortality during coursing is likely to have negligible effect."
Prof Ian Montgomery, head of the school of biological sciences, said: "Our findings support the efficacy of measures taken by the ICC to mitigate the impact of its activity on individual hares.
"Further research is required to evaluate the effects of temporarily removing hares from their source population and of returning coursed hares to the wild before the wider impact of coursing on wild hare populations can be fully determined," Prof Montgomery added.
Last night Aideen Yourell, of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, said she was shocked at the findings of the study which she rejected out of hand.
"How can you base a scientific study on video footage from an organisation which has forbidden photography at its meetings for many years?" she asked.
"When the Irish Coursing Club produces video footage, it never shows a kill and it is an absolute nonsense to regard this as anything only propaganda.
"It is absolutely shocking to use the words animal welfare and hare coursing in the one breath. I am stunned and angry at this report," said Ms Yourell.
She added that the act of removing hares from the wild by trapping them and keeping them in a confined space was cruel, even before dogs were let loose on them for a coursing meeting.
The research team said further research was required before the wider impact of coursing on the wild hare could be determined.