Kokova Magazine

A green light given to badger massacre as culling is declared the only option available - according to Caroline Spelman.

On 14th December, the Secretary of State presented mass slaughter as the only option available to control bTB, setting the government on course for a showdown with animal rights protestors all over the country.

Her decision to approve culls in two trial areas goes against a mountain of powerful scientific evidence that proves shooting badgers will have little impact in controlling TB among cattle herds. Not only is it inhumane - it is also not cost-effective but it does please the farmers of course!

Naturewatch supports a call for the Government to focus resources on a more humane approach.

The Naturewatch opinion mirrors that of other organisations and individuals who have paid attention to the scientific evidence: The Government needs to adopt a science-led policy with sustained support for the development of vaccines for both cattle and badgers.

Improved cattle testing is also needed, coupled with restrictions on cattle movement and improving bio-security on farms to reduce the risk of cattle to cattle transmission.

DEFRA says it's in the process of developing oral vaccines but claims they're unlikely to be available before 2015. Bearing in mind that bTB has been around since the 1920's, and that TB was first discovered in badgers in 1971, it would appear there's a massive lack of political will in this crucial area.

Naturewatch believes Caroline Spelman had already made up her mind to go ahead with a cull regardless as we are aware that just two months after coming into office, she cancelled five out of the six vaccination trials started by the Labour government.

Shooting badgers in the dark.
How irresponsible is this! Shooting badgers in the dark as they run free at night (however well controlled) will result in thousands of badgers being maimed and injured rather than being killed, and also wipe out huge numbers of healthy animals.

If the farmers are paying, of course they will take shortcuts at every opportunity to cut down their costs as it's a huge sum of money for farmers to find at a time when they are facing rising fuel costs etc.

The shooting of badgers will be taking place on private land so who's going to know what's really going on. The implications this decision has for human safety must also be brought into question.

Naturewatch has grave concerns about increasing levels of badger persecution, as any cull will effectively open the floodgates and encourage vigilante groups to get out there at night and shoot badgers at will.

Yet another huge mistake by Defra?

It was only in February that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman backed down from controversial plans to sell 258,000 hectares of state-owned woodland in England saying: "I am sorry, we got this one wrong." The strength of public feeling against a badger cull is equally strong.

Lack of confidence votes have even been voiced by: Lord Krebs, who conducted the 10-year scientific trial; Natural England, the government body responsible for licensing culls; English Nature, the Government's own official wildlife advisers.

Even the Government's own risk assessment on a badger cull raises concerns about the impact of free shooting.

As the government has already spent over £50 million and nearly a decade on the Krebs Trial to decide that culling wasn't worth it -their decision to go against the findings will more than likely result in a judicial inquiry.
www.naturewatch.org