Badger Cull: Justified Or Not?

[Kerosene]

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1169663.html

(Transferred from Animals and Nature)

Yet another badger cull is about to get under way only 5 years after an independent report which took 10 years to compile and which included culling of badgers concluded that carrying on doing so would have no useful purpose.

But now, a different govt decides to ignore all that scientific study and go for another one. Politics at play? More unnecessary expense to taxpayers? More badgers slaughtered as pawns in a political game?

[QuizmasterG]

Smoke and mirrors!

If the nation of animal lovers are concentrating on (unnecessary) animal slaughter, the other failings of politicians will be put to one side.

"It's a good day to bury bad news"

[anotheoldgit]

I think that if you were a farmer and after each TB test on your herd it proved that some had Bovine TB, so consequently they had to be 'put down' you might take a different view on the matter.

[jomifl]

I have wondered why farmers can't fence out badgers. I once watched a badger trying to climb an ordinary wire stock fence, it failed miserably. Could the answer really be that simple?

[Kerosene]

The main point of this is that the 10 year investigation by ISG Independent Scientific Group stated amongst other things the badger is apparently only one of quite a few beasts capable of transmitting Bovine TB, therefore it could be argued that the badger has been unjustifiably singled out for destruction.

The findings of the ISG appear to have been totally ignored in favour of a hastily commissioned one which took less than two years.

[wolf63]

aog I think that if you were a farmer and after each TB test on your herd it proved that some had Bovine TB, so consequently they had to be 'put down' you might take a different view on the matter

I think that part of the problem is knowing 'if' the disease in cows is coming from the badgers. There is no clear proof that it does. It has also been argued that the disease is moving from cows to the badgers.
Surely there has to be a better solution than just killing the badgers.

[chaptazbru]

^ There probably is, but it'll cost too much unfortunately, better to shoot the poor beggars and leave many of them wounded to die a horrible death. Babaric in my opinion.

[jomifl]

Not justified if there is any truth i the article below
http://www.guardian.c...l-dont-stop-bovine-tb

[Kerosene]

jomifl,

A great, informative link. wolf63, you should read it.

[jomifl]

Religion trumps politics. Politics trumps science. Science trumps everything usually too late.

[Answerprancer]

Absolutely not.
This is one of the reasons I have totally given up eating beef or beef products.
I have been negotiating with friends on Facebook with an aim to organise some (legal) sabotaging of these outrageous culls using non-violent direct action.

[ladybirder]

AP, David Attenborough, Chris Packham, Joanna Lumley, Brian May, Bill Oddie and others have all come out in opposition so I hope this is the start of something big.
I was going to say keep us posted on your sabotage plans but you can't really can you - doh!

[Answerprancer]

Maybe afterwards ;-)

[jomifl]

AP, I suggest that you start a rumour that the cows get infected by the most obvious vector, the farmers. Then by a process of inevitable logic .....

[Kerosene]

I just cannot get away from the suspicion that this is nothing more than playing politics at the expense of these helpless animals whose 'crime' is to stand accused without fair trial.

Nothing I've ever heard on the subject - and I'm in no way an expert - has found the badger 'banged to rights', so what gives the present govt the justification to just totally ignore that 10 year study of recent years in favour of a hastily convened one during the last 2 years?

It's totally illogical and a complete slap in the face for those eminent scientists involved in the extensive and painstaking 1998-2007 study. Not to mention the continued massive cost to taxpayers. Crazy!

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Farming on the cheap is the reason bTB is spreading and the badger is the scapegoat.Why is it that in some areas of high badger population bTB is low risk?

[LazyGun]

For what its worth- most of the evidence I have seen would suggest that instituting a badger cull by shooting would do little to halt or prevent the spread of TB. Indeed, one of the findings was that the survivors of such culls would wander and travel to new locations, thus if anything spreading the risk.

They were working on a vaccine, and were pretty close to having one available but the farming lobby considered that option was too expensive.

It really does seem as if this policy has been introduced in defiance of the best available evidence, on the spurious grounds of cost and ease of implementation.

[jedimistress]

It is a sadness and a disgrace. I will also be joining the direct action against this cull. This policy, from a government who wants to reintroduce hunting foxes, stags and other wildlife with dogs, comes as no surprise. They are all just bloodthirsty landowners in the pockets of the NFU.

And they say they don't have the police resources to stop the illegal hunting which still goes on day in, day out. Yet you can bet your life, they'll suddenly find the police resources to go out and protect the badger exterminators against protest.

[ladybirder]

It always boils down to money in the end doesn't it. Culling is cheaper than vaccinating. Don't you just hate people sometimes. Money Rules!