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

Abitwobblynow As Beamur correctly said there are many many reasons why species are struggling - intensive farming and loss of habitat in countryside, increasing use of pesticides and climate change. The later is affecting our seasons which in turn is affecting many food sources and hibernation patterns.
If Badgers are so supposedly riddled with TB in vast numbers, surely a helluva lot will be dying from the disease, no? If that is the case no need to worry about excessive overpopulation then...

Have also just read on DEFRAs website there is a drop of TB reactors in cattle in the last 6 months in comparison to last year.

The petition is now over 91000. Not many more needed to generate a debate in parliament. Come on folks!

signed.

It's a bit rich of human beings to try to blame badgers for the decline in hedgehogs and other species. It's our fault. The decline in hedgehog numbers is (no-one's sure of the exact reason) probably down to factors such as the environment - farming practices and in urban/suburban areas, less shelter and the popularity of decking, so they can't cross from area to area as they used to.

Wow thats good RedMolly, and all in about 1 week...

At least if the debate is booked for a ridiculous time in the house (i.e when most MPs aren't there) it does really show how many people are opposed.

Ony another 2500ish signatures needed, that's gone so quickly!

100,777 reached

Great! Might get letter writing to my MP too, I think she would be the sort to ask awkward (but in this case common sense) questions in the commons.

Good thinking Jammy
During our campaign in Pembs, we had an AM called Peter Black (Lib Dem) at the Welsh Assembly on our side. He attended quite a few of our meetings and verbally pummelled the Agricultural Minister at every opportunity, it really made a hell of a difference.

Great stuff. There is a template letter on the Wildlife Trusts site if that helps anyone:

www.wildlifetrusts.org/badgers-and-bovineTB

www.defra.gov.uk/news/2010/09/15/control-bovine-tb/

I think this sums it up well, I agree with the cull and also think there are too many badgers.

The petition has helped and it has assisted in getting a debate in Parliament today. :)

Just heard that the cull has been postponed for a year!

Good, good, but where did you hear that? I thought announcement not till 12.30.

Fear farmers will privately kill anyway- have heard 90% of 'roadkill' badgers killed and later dumped.

It was on R4 news. There was an Archers storyline a few years ago when David Archer was prosecuted for dispatching and dumping a badger - so hard to prove who was responsible in rl unfortunately.

I also heard on the news that the cull has been postponed for a year. And then somebody came on and said that didn't mean it wouldn't happen. But I expect it won't happen in a year's time. I don't agree with culling.

Well. We got the debate. The vote was overwhelming! Just a shame it is not legally binding, but let's hope it is the beginning of the end of the road for the cull, and everyone can unite behind developing a workable vaccination programme.

My husband has lost over a third of his dairy herd to badgers. Having seen a badger close up, in one of cattle buildings, they are viscous and far from cuddly. DH has 12 badger sets on his farm. The countryside is overrun with badgers. Not seen a hedgehog for years.

I am pro cull.

Did anyone say they were cuddly?

Oohlaalaa firstly hello fellow dairy farmer, we are lucky that we are tb free at the moment but I have seen the deverstation tb has caused, I no a farmer who has killed himself because he lost everything. And I agree something needs to be done!