Badger Cull

[RedMolly]

Just wanted to mention that there is a new petition to try and stop the pilot badger culls:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

More info at www.badger.org.uk and www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bovine-tb/

Please sign if you think the cull should be stopped. Obviously if you think it should go ahead you won't be signing!

Thanks

Thanks for the link. I'll sign.
I think the cull is a joke.
All the evidence, even from the government scientist, has shown, repeatedly, that a cull not only doesn't really help much but increases bovine TB occurrences.
For a cull to have any effect, it needs to be country-wide (as in remove 95% of the UK's badgers) and should probably also include deer, at the very least.
When will they stop pumping money into a scheme that everyone who has any evidence for it has said is a waste of resources, and start spending that money on something that might actually turn out to be constructive?

I have signed- it's inhuman, impractical and bad science. There's better ways to support dairy farmers- like paying them a decent price for their milk.

Ive signed.

Have already signed and sent to as many people as possible.

I am a smallholder and live in a part of Pembrokeshire, that was a Intensive Action Pilot Area 3 years ago. We set up an Action Group against the Cull, and worked bloody hard. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) got as far as surveying everyones land, and i know the realitys of what happened to those that refused entry.. The WAG at that time spread the rumour that we were Animal Rights activists, and for a while the surveyors arrived wearing banaclavas for 'protection', even to the front door of an OAP who lived by herself and owned land. I know a 76 year old that was arrested for refusing entry. I don't mean to scaremonger, but that period of time was hell on earth.

The Badger Trust won their appeal at the High Court, and the bill was overturned. Thank god at the last election the WAG was Labour lead, or we would be fighting again..This Summer We all had our badgers vaccinated in the whole of North Pembrokeshire. it was very easy, (i observed every step on my land) and brilliantly organised by WAG, and i completely applaud them!

How can the English government order this cull? It goes against all the scientific evidence, and will make TB cases worse in the surrounding areas. At best they can only hope to reduce TB by 16% in the first few years. Deer, rats, sheep and even dogs carry the virus, the bacteria even lives in the Slurry produced by infected cattle. I could go on..

When a suggestion of a cull was here, the WAG were going to bait the cages, and kill them with one clean guaranteed shot, causing as little distress to the animal as possible. Now i would be interested to know HOW the English government can guarantee killing their badgers in a humane way, while free shooting in the dark, it's disgusting.

The whole idea of a cull is illogical, inhuman and very very scarey.

Thank you for linking RedMolly!

bump

Blimey Jellykat. I know it came close to the wire in Wales but had no idea those sort of tactics were used. Really glad so many people seem to be getting behind this - been contacting folk all day and so far haven't had a negative response.

bump

Oh yes RedMolly, it was horrific for us landowners.. What scares me the most about the English situation is that 'if' they decide the trials due to be carried are 'successful' (which i'm afraid to say they will inevitably have to, in order to warrant the costs) the cull will be rolled out across the whole of England, for many years to come.

Keep fighting it, there are so many public figures against the cull, as well as many many Action groups....sadly it doesn't look like the majority of MNers are supportive of our wildlife it has to be said

Where are all the people on the wildlife top trumps threads?

We have a pair of badgers who live either in our back garden or in the field at the back, they trundle past the French windows at night, inches away! It's magical to see them. I know they are considered pests but DP and I would miss Mr and Mrs Badger

Bump.

My sil is a scientist and ecologist and says the Tories are only doing it to appease the farmers. From a science pov it makes no sense.

Who knows barbarian, am flummoxed as have had many positive discussions on here re. these particular furrys..

Oo the petitions reached over halfway, have to say its moving fast..

Maybe we should just chat (and therefore keep bumping)

Done. I feel very strongly about this. I've put it on my FB and re-tweeted the link lots too.

Okay Jellykat, let's chat about dairy farms. We have a dairy farm a mile away. The barns and sheds are in pieces, slurry runs down the road and chews holes in the hardcore, the cows limp between shabby fields. In winter the yards are a swamp. I found a dismembered calf in a field this summer. I know very little about farming but some people on this thread clearly do, so how is it allowed to function? Are there no hygiene checks? Why are the RSPCA so helpless to do anything?

Signed and shared on Facebook.

I know I am probably thick but....

We are an island. Why can't we vaccinate cattle/badgers for a few years and just eradicate TB totally? Obviously it will cost, but so will killing badgers.

Another bump. It's bad science people and even if killing badgers for no scientific reason doesn't bother you, what about the enormous public expense? Sil's ecology consultancy has already been paid an enormous amount to advise the government on this, and she has concluded that it is a political policy and the consultation was a sham. Don't let the government lie to us and spend our money on useless projects (meanwhile dismantling our health services and cutting public services everywhere)

Thats exactly what originally happened here mummy.. it also has to be said that better cattle control measures (some of which were so blatantly obvious and simple it was ridiculous) here have greatly reduced the TB figures over the last 2 years.

I also have to add there has never been a case of Bovine TB in my immediate area, i am surrounded by small farms, no intensive farming i can see every day really clean conditions and happy healthy cattle.. i have 3 setts and was told there are 16 setts in the woodland below me..

Yes Barbarian, there are lots of farms like the one you describe, but i tell you after WAG introduced measures around here, farmers had to pull up their socks bloody fast.
You think how quickly TB could be spread from the farm you describe, cattle with poor immune systems, rats carrying the disease. as well as possibly infected slurry sitting around for everything and everyone to walk through..

Our badger vaccinators sterilised their boots between every farm, that shows one aspect of how the disease can be spread.

Yes, Itsallgoing we can vaccinate badgers now, i think the cattle vaccine will be ready in 2015.. There is importing of cattle, but that's not the badgers' problem.
There are many that question the testing process anyway.

That's interesting Jelly where do you live

I've signed and forwarded. There is NO accurate scientific evidence to support this cull of a so-called protected species. I have a friend who works at DEFRA on this issue and agrees wholeheartedly that this is a big mistake.

It's devastating. :(

Oops, my last sentence should read - There are many that question the TB testing process anyway..

I live in North Pembrokeshire mummy.

How do other countries, eg France manage re. tb in the dairy herds?

Ah, I see. Well let's keep bumping and spreading word about the petition.

But surely as we are an island we could easily screen cattle prior to import?

If tb cattle infected milk gets mixed in with non infected milk does pasteurisation destroy the risk to human consumers.