Petition call over cull of badgers

“"When did things start to go wrong?

Farmers in high incidence areas of England are now being asked to foot the bill for culling badgers when in 1986 it was decided not to continue funding the very effective clean ring strategy because it was deemed to be too expensive.

The 'clean ring strategy' was introduced in 1982 and involved cage trapping badgers on land occupied by affected cattle herds, then on adjoining land, expanding outwards until no further infected animals were captured.

In 1986 this approach was replaced by the 'interim strategy' which involved culling badgers only on land occupied by affected cattle herds. The last 'interim' culls were performed in 1998, prior to the start of the badger culling trial known as the RBCT.

This 'interim' strategy was recommended and implemented because a cost-benefit analysis showed the high cost of the clean ring policy could not be economically justified.

What a mistake!!

Many farmers in high incidence areas are now leaving the industry because of the expense and lingering hardship associated with bovine TB.

In 2000, according to Customs & Excise, the annual UK dairy trade deficit was less than £0.5b. In the ten years since then the deficit has steadily increased so that in 2010 the deficit exceeded £1.2b.

What is seen as the future for farming in South West England and what are the reasons behind this distinct lack of willingness to allocate the necessary resource and commitment to address bovine TB in this country?

There are two reasons why the burgeoning badger population is not being addressed to achieve TB free status. One is the government's unwillingness to make a commitment and put serious investment into achieving a long term aim. The other is loss of votes in the face of a misinformed public who do not understand the reasons why the EU is not sanctioning cattle vaccination and why badger vaccination is currently seen as an unproven, high risk, distant solution for which badger trials on an oral vaccine in England and Wales have not even started.

The bovinetb site has a lot of usefull stuff including history etc and nice pretty pictures (graphs) http://tinyurl.com/8s2cjdj

Q and A is available from here nice and easy to understand http://tinyurl.com/8s2cjdjdocs/nps4FB6.tmp.pdf


EU report on bTB http://tinyurl.com/8esb3cd"”

“stop buying english beef and dairy products . that will stop the cull if the petition fails. find out which supermarkets are against the cull.”

“stop buying english beef and dairy products . that will stop the cull. find out which supermarkets are against the cull.”

“stop buying english beef and dairy products . that will stop the cull. find out which supermarkets are against the cull.”

“The licensed killing of badgers in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset could achieve a number of things. It could further advertise the unwelcome existence of bovine tuberculosis in British dairy herds. It could polarise opinion in the countryside and unite political opposition everywhere else. It could cost the farmers involved more than they could gain. It will almost certainly provoke active protest and put even more pressure on already hard-pressed police forces.

What it will almost certainly not do is limit bovine tuberculosis, even in the target zones of Gloucestershire and Somerset. It might be helpful to list those things that are certain. Human tuberculosis is a dangerous disease. Bovine tuberculosis is a real problem for dairy farmers – who in any case have been paid too little for their milk and who have been going out of business for decades – and the disease lives on in the wild badger population. But by 1996, a policy of identification and slaughter had reduced the incidence of bovine TB in dairy herds in England and Wales to less than half a per cent, and the risk of direct transmission to humans has – with the pasteurisation of milk – long ago become negligible. The last and most systematic examination of the link between badgers and bovine TB found that, indeed, there was transmission, and proposed a series of systematic, randomised controlled trials over a sustained period to see whether culling could provide an answer. In 2003, the government, farmers, public health officers and wildlife campaigners got the answer: shooting and gassing did not eliminate, and could possibly spread, the disease. That may be because badgers disturbed in one area could migrate, taking the infection with them. The answer, delivered by Lord Krebs and the distinguished statisticians and zoologists who examined the results, could hardly be clearer: killing will not solve the problem. Lord Krebs's scientific credentials are not in doubt. He was trusted by successive British governments to head the Natural Environment Research Council, and to chair the Food Standards Agency. And he has just described the latest plan as a "crazy scheme".

http://tinyurl.com/bvjp9rv”

“Well knowing now that you don't even have the basic knowledge of badgers and their lifestyle anything else that you are now coming out with will be taken with a pinch of salt. You haven't read or understood any of the previous records stating that bTb had been more or less wiped out. There is no alternative at present to clear infected herds apart from culling cattle that prove positive, clearing those farms of badgers and putting massive bio security measures in place. People will continue to eat dairy products and eat beef and it is better that this meat comes from this country where at least we can have some knowledge as to how that meat is being raised and slaughtered. If it comes from abroad we have no knowledge as to what conditions the animals are bred for consumption or the conditions in which they are being slaughtered. We also have little or no knowledge as to how wildlife is being dealt with to stop TB getting into their herds.”

“The licensed killing of badgers in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset could achieve a number of things. It could further advertise the unwelcome existence of bovine tuberculosis in British dairy herds. It could polarise opinion in the countryside and unite political opposition everywhere else. It could cost the farmers involved more than they could gain. It will almost certainly provoke active protest and put even more pressure on already hard-pressed police forces.

What it will almost certainly not do is limit bovine tuberculosis, even in the target zones of Gloucestershire and Somerset. It might be helpful to list those things that are certain. Human tuberculosis is a dangerous disease. Bovine tuberculosis is a real problem for dairy farmers – who in any case have been paid too little for their milk and who have been going out of business for decades – and the disease lives on in the wild badger population. But by 1996, a policy of identification and slaughter had reduced the incidence of bovine TB in dairy herds in England and Wales to less than half a per cent, and the risk of direct transmission to humans has – with the pasteurisation of milk – long ago become negligible. The last and most systematic examination of the link between badgers and bovine TB found that, indeed, there was transmission, and proposed a series of systematic, randomised controlled trials over a sustained period to see whether culling could provide an answer. In 2003, the government, farmers, public health officers and wildlife campaigners got the answer: shooting and gassing did not eliminate, and could possibly spread, the disease. That may be because badgers disturbed in one area could migrate, taking the infection with them. The answer, delivered by Lord Krebs and the distinguished statisticians and zoologists who examined the results, could hardly be clearer: killing will not solve the problem. Lord Krebs's scientific credentials are not in doubt. He was trusted by successive British governments to head the Natural Environment Research Council, and to chair the Food Standards Agency. And he has just described the latest plan as a "crazy scheme".

http://tinyurl.com/99f2o37

http://tinyurl.com/bvjp9rv”

“For Thousands of years, Meles meles lived as a diurnal species. As we know from the rods and cones eye evolution, the Badger, like the Fox and Otter, were daytime hunters.
......

Following human persecution of everything that we find time to kill, these species evolved into nocturnal animals, specifically to avoid contact with us........
Now we all know that the 10 year Krebs trials, 100 Million pounds of taxpayers hard earned , thousands of dead Badgers, have resulted in a scientific report called THE KREBS REPORT....
The longest, most extensive , BTB field trials ever,concluded that culling Badgers results in simply moving TB around.
The first recorded case of TB in Badgers was in 1971, the first recorded case of TB in cows was in the 1930's.
TB is a cow problem Not a Badger one. LEAVE OUR WILDLIFE ALONE!

http://tinyurl.com/bvjp9rv”

“As I have been told tonight, The Animal Rights Activists that are arranging the demonstrations at Culls, Have been convicted on other Animal Rights Issues, and have been in Prison for their crimes, against Huntingdon Life Science ,
So all you sheep that are supporting them I suggest you think twice, as they are trying to get you to fire their bullets,
But the Cull will go ahead no matter how many petitions are signed,”

“That's because you don't know anything about it.

And no; the petition won't stop the cull.

THE European Commission has warned UK Governments they need to show greater long-term commitment to tackling the problem of bovine TB (bTB) in wildlife.

In a report seen by Farmers Guardian this week, the Commission insists there is 'no scientific evidence' badger vaccination will work, compared with the 'considerable evidence' badger removal will improve the TB status of both badgers and cattle.

Brussels officials warn the Welsh TB eradication plan has been 'disrupted' and will 'lose impetus' as a result of the decision taken this year to opt for vaccination over culling. It called on UK politicians to 'commit to a long-term strategy' that transcends party politics and fear of what voters might think.

The European Commission co-funds TB eradication policies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to the tune of €32 million a year. Earlier this year, it sent a delegation over to the UK to ensure the money is being spent effectively and should continue to be paid.”