The science behind this is dubious to say the least. Ignoring that fact that this is being done on a regional basis, with no boundaries - ergo badgers could just re-populate from an adjoining area. I read a report that said that when this has been done previously, a 70% reduction in the badger population only resulted in a 16% drop in the no. of TB cases in cattle. Also, this is being done by shooting the beasts rather than gassing their sets, so if they don't come above ground at the point Mr Farmer has his shotgun pointed, they'll escape the cull, so it's inefficient to say the least. It sounds like a farmers killing spree to me.
Thanks for entering into the whole spirit of the thing If you want my serious view, I'm not happy about it,
You should do a little more research on the way the cull has been prepared. It's not poor Mr. Farmer who will be conducting the cull! So what do you say to a farmer in Somerset who has not been able to move or sell cattle for over 2 years because not only does the herd keep getting re-infected with TB but the number of 'responders' per test keeps rising? It is now to the point where they are crushed between a rock and a hard place. I've never heard one farmer say they want to kill badgers (leave that to the dog fighting idiots) but they are seeing herds that they have developed for years being decimated in front of their eyes. So they would gladly take a reduction in the number of cases. I doubt that many farmers would oject if they could vaccinate their herds. However, the food anarchist equivalent of Brian May wouldn't let them do that even if an effective vaccine was available!
I'm going to offer them refuse at my spot. A safe haven for badgers, they can hide in the cellars as the farmers come knocking I can see myself becoming a modern day Schindler (only for monochrome beasts)
I'd assumed it was farmers that were going to carry it out, that assumption was wrong......... for this pilot. I know that TB in cattle causes farmers problems, I live in a rural area, so I understand the issue. However, my point was that the science behind the badger cull providing the best solution is extremely dubious, as it is.
It's true that we don't know if a partial badger cull will help reduce bovine TB. So doing a trial in a few areas and seeing what happens can help us learn whether it will be effective, until we have vaccines. The real problem is, badgers are cute and fluffy (but carry diseases which kill cattle), cows are not particularly cute or fluffy (but we eat 3 million a year). If we were killing mosquitos or wasps, it wouldn't even be news. http://www.badscience.net/2013/06/badger-badger-badger-badger-cull-badger-badger-badger-trial/
Ill dig out the couple of separate studies that cast serious doubt on culling vs vaccination as the way forward. At work lunch almost over..... One of them shows that while you get a small reduction in TB in the immediate area you get an increase in surrounding areas as you drive badgers away from the danger. One of them had an interesting report on how TB is spread more from short cuts in registration of movement and tag switching by some & I mean some farmers. These reports were part of many that eventually put significant doubt in Labours 10 year plan to cull. Badgers aren't cute They do spread TB (now believed to have been originally spread from human TO cattle by the way) But this is too simplistic and is the excuse used by farmers to exterminate every wild animal scapegoated for the last 1000 years of farming. for them and more importantly us the consumer wanting everything on the cheap is ultimately responsible... Personally I'll pay more for my beef and milk to allow a vaccination programme rather than the cull. I'm not a vegan hippy or a loon but I also don't think we can practice this kind of medieval farming technique then tell the third world don't burn down trees or kill all local wildlife because it interferes with your poor farmers. We're suppose to be an innovative & intelligent species for gods sake. Don't like it so ill shoot it is archaic....
But its not always a choice, we are in a climate that hasn't seen a wage (other than the minimum) increase in four or five years too.
It's one thing shooting the ****s. It's another thing slowly poisoning them with your festering rubbish
