Website Content

Jump to footer

Protestors step up fight to halt badger cull

FARMERS WEEKLY
16 September 2011

Campaigners have made a last-ditch attempt to derail the government's badger culling plans.

A total of 65,000 signatures have been raised by 27 online petitions ahead of the 20 September, when DEFRA's consultation on shooting of free-running badgers closes.

The consultation, launched nine weeks ago, asked for views on whether the method of culling could be effective and humane.

The RSPCA, Labour Party and Badger Trust have all criticised the plans.

Among the submissions, the Badger Trust dubbed the shooting proposals as a cut-priced, inhumane approach to be carried out by a Dad's Army of farmers.

"Only a small benefit was gained from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and that was when it was organised and carried out by government officials," said trust spokesman Jack Reedy.

"Farmers shooting free-running badgers at night won't work. It will be impossible to cull out entire setts."

The RSPCA said its submission would underline its opposition to a cull on all counts. It said if a cull went ahead it was concerned that free-shooting carried far more risks than cage-trapping.

"Because of their anatomy, it is potentially difficult to free-shoot a badger in a quick, humane way. There is a high probability that you will be left with a wounded animal in much suffering," a spokeswoman said.

The two lethal points are difficult to hit, she added. The head is small, thick and bony and the heart is located back in the body and blocked by the badgers' elbow joint.

The Labour party's anti-cull campaign accrued 7,000 signatures opposing cull plans.

"Bovine TB is a terrible disease but the government's plans to cull badgers are bad for farmers, bad for badgers and bad for the taxpayer," said Labour shadow DEFRA secretary Mary Creagh.

"We need a science-led policy to manage cattle movements and develop a vaccine to tackle TB in badgers and cattle."

Of the 65,000 signatures, half have been raised by online campaign group 38 Degrees, which provides a platform for discussion on a wide range of issues.

Comments on the site called for other measures to be taken before badger culling was considered.

The majority said scientific evidence collected from previous cull trials did not support government plans to carry out trial badger culls in disease hotspots.

But DEFRA's chief vet Nigel Gibbens hit back at the criticisms and agreed to take part in a discussion on the site scheduled for yesterday (15 September).

"I'd like to correct some of the serious inaccuracies I've seen here," he wrote on the site. "The Randomised Badger Culling Trial shows conclusively that badgers contribute significantly to bovine TB in cattle."

He said the badger cull could reduce the incidence of bovine TB in a 150sq km local area by an estimated 16%, equating to 47 cattle herd breakdowns being prevented.

The British Veterinary Association said it was yet to finalise its submission, but president Carl Padgett told Farmers Weekly that it would support a targeted cull and was in favour of a controlled shooting pilot going ahead.

"Until we try this method we do not know whether it is effective and humane," he said.

"The cull must remove 70% of badgers in a defined area for the results achieved in the Krebs trial to be replicated.

"It will also show us whether the method can be humane.

 

What do you think of government plans for a badger cull? Join the debate and have your say on our forums.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/forums/badger-cull-in-england-60717.aspx
- BADGER CULL IN ENGLAND

Past News

brianmay.com
Bookmark and Share