'Science on side of badger culling'
THE letter from 'Anon, Newent' only increased my concern that the general public are being misled by all the emotional anti-badger cull publicity.
The idea that science is on their side is based on the conclusion made after the badger culling trial that badger culling "cannot meaningfully contribute to TB control".
Some months later, when the results could be seen more clearly, the Government chief scientist, Sir David King, came to the opposite conclusion.
If people were given all the facts, they would realise why science is on the side of badger culling where there is a need. In the early 1970s, when badger culling was first permitted in Great Britain, there were about 6,000 TB reacters in cattle slaughtered annually. By 1986, that number was reduced right down to 638, an all-time low. TB remained at that very low level until 1992 when it began to rise. Why did it start to rise? That was the year that badger culling was made illegal.
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Also in recent years after the 'four area' trial in Ireland, TB in cattle was reduced by between 60 per cent and 96 per cent by badger culling.
TB is one of the reasons why many dairy farmers have given up. I'm afraid the anti-badger cull groups have little or no understanding of the emotional and financial strain that TB causes or they would be more sympathetic.
Dairy farmer,
Name and address supplied
#citizenletters
Comments
by bobthebadger
Sunday, September 23 2012, 2:52PM
“Sir David King's change of opinion prior to his resignation did not appear to be based on science. The view of scientists, including the top badger specialist Dr Chris Cheeseman, is that the planned badger culling would be a big mistake, and will not yield a significant reduction in bTB in cattle.”
by badgerhugger
Friday, September 21 2012, 10:39PM
“The writer does not mention that dairy farms are closing all over the country. In South Yorkshire they are closing by the day and we never see bovine TB.
Farmers need to get their act together, sort out their poor husbandry and bio-security and push for better investment in testing methods.”