Badger cull trials come under attack (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Badger cull trials come under attack
12:00pm Wednesday 4th January 2012 in News By Simon Moss
Badger cull trials come under attack
A GOVERNMENT decision to launch a badger cull in an attempt to tackle bovine tuberculosis has been criticised.
Bosses at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said the decision to carry out two trials this year is the incorrect way to tackle disease in cattle.
Paul Wilkinson, head of living and landscapes at the organisation, said: “A badger cull is the wrong tool to address this serious and complex problem and a distraction from other measures to tackle bovine TB. An industry-led cull with open shooting in the countryside is untested and these pilots will not provide a scientific evaluation of the impact on bovine TB.
“The rationale for any cull of native species needs to be extremely clear and well proven. We do not believe this is the case with the proposed badger cull.”
Government figures state 25,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year due to bovine TB, which could cost the taxpayer as much as £1billion over the next 10 years.
The cull decision was made by Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, who said: “Bovine TB is a chronic and insidious disease which is having a devastating impact on farmers and rural communities.
“Unless further action is taken now, it will continue to get worse. There is a great strength of feeling on this issue and no one wants to see badgers culled.
“But no country in the world where wildlife carries TB has successfully controlled the disease in cattle without tackling its presence in wildlife as well.”
It is not yet known where the trials will be carried out.
Comments(4)
The _right_stuff
says...
6:15pm Wed 4 Jan 12
This must not happen.
I do not believe in the Cull, don't want it and hopefully people will realise what a devastating impact on rural life this will have.
The Badger is a wonderful animal and should be protected.
I have some sympathy for farmers, but strongly believe that to eradicate bovine tuberculosis the only way is to innoculate the Badgers not kill them either whole sale or in any trial.
The Mad Mike 1
says...
9:53pm Wed 4 Jan 12
Lofty Lady
says...
10:18am Thu 5 Jan 12
robertspet8 says...
3:34pm Wed 4 Jan 12
“Unless further action is taken now, it will continue to get worse. There is a great strength of feeling on this issue and no one wants to see badgers culled.
“But no country in the world where wildlife carries TB has successfully controlled the disease in cattle without tackling its presence in wildlife as well.”'
I have several issues wth the above statement:
Bovine TB is a dreadful disease but it is not having a devastating affect on the farmers because they are compensated. It is us, the taxpayers, who foot the bill as usual. Have we been asked if this is a cost worth paying? I think it is. Alternativey why not get rid of all cattle in the UK? That would cure the problem of Bovine TB! I am sure many of us would benefit from a dairy and beef free diet - although this would not happen because we would import these products and dump the problem with other countries.
If no one wants to see badgers culled why is it happening then?
No country has succeeded in controlling the spread of the disease without tackling its presence in wildlife. Why dont we try to be the first to succeed? We have some of the greatest scientists and a break through would be worth a fortune.
A cull is such a blunt instrument and unless the whole badger population is irradicated will not work.
Are we going to carry this logic further and kill all wildlife which carries disease which affects our animals or ourselves?