Website Content

Jump to footer

BADGER TRUST PRESS RELEASE: Another Blunder Over Welsh Badgers

From Badger Trust
23 December 2010
Mistake reveals the politics of the blunderbuss, says Badger Trust.

The Welsh Assembly Government has published yet another blatantly misleading mistake over bovine tuberculosis. Last month it had to retract a claim that killing badgers would reduce herd infections by 50 percentbut in its apology claimed:

Previous trials [not listed] have shown that culling badgers can reduce TB in cattle. Benefits could be seen in six months. [1]

However, only in January 2010 it said:

Our aim is to eradicate TB from the [Intensive Action Pilot Area]. This will take years to achieve and it could go up in the short term. It may take up to three years before we see a reduction in TB cattle in the area [2].

David Williams, the chairman of the Badger Trust, said: “It is shameful that the WAG proposes the protracted slaughter of thousands of badgers apparently with no clear idea of what benefits, if any, could be expected. Even the latest apology has no foundation in science. The broad policy proposals have been missold to the public and, crucially, to farmers.

“The subject – and the badgers – deserve careful science, not the politics of the blunderbuss”.

Past News

brianmay.com
Bookmark and Share