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Letter from Chairman of the Badger Trust

Further to Press Relase of 8 December:

MEAT TRADE NEWS DAILY
09 Dec 2010
CYNICAL EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL

Badger Trust challenges exploitation of farmer’s plight

Madam, - Your article derived from a news release from the Farmer’s Union of Wales (Meat Trade News Daily, December 3) did not give the right of reply to organizations with a more rational approach to the bovine tuberculosis epidemic.

The FUW statement was no more than cynical emotional blackmail, exploiting in harrowing language how a Welsh farmer had to watch 23 cattle shot on the farm. At the same time the FUW was trying to link this, without any supporting justification, to badgers. It mentioned the presence of badger setts surrounding the farm in a context that implied that badgers were implicated in the loss of these cattle, but the union offers no proof there were any badgers present, failed to acknowledge the complexity of the disease and its transmission between animals, and the risk of disturbing badgers’ habitat.

This clumsy attempt at news manipulation also failed to mention the enormous difference between the loss of cattle because of bTB and the huge number culled annually through other diseases – estimated as 300,000 in 2008 – against 36,322 because of bTB in 2009 (latest available figures). Furthermore, the estimate shows about seven times as many slaughtered in 2008 because of infertility as for bTB, and five times as many for mastitis.

Brian Walters, the FUW’s bTB spokesman, attempts to belittle the genuine and informed concern of people who will respond negatively. He writes: “They are, however, completely unaffected by this terrible disease and have been lulled by wildlife groups into believing culling does not work and is futile”. He seems not to understand the findings of scientists of international standing who have called the effectiveness of culling into question. Also, the Court of Appeal earlier this year established the illegality of killing badgers for no substantial reduction in bTB.

The Trust says the real reason for the clamor is that bTB, as opposed to other diseases, prevents among other things, the farm from profiting from trade in live cattle while the risk of infection persists.

The FUW’s use of such phrases as distressed owners, traumatic revelations, and harrowing experiences will convince no one that the slaughter of thousands of badgers is justified as a way of controlling the spread of the disease. It has even been shown to be likely to make the epidemic worse in the long term.

People who have taken the considerable trouble to inform themselves of the scientific background have not been lulled by anyone, and will not be impressed by the kind of emotional blackmail used by Mr Walters.

David Williams
Chairman
The Badger Trust

Source:newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk

 

 

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