Badger Cull Protest

Thanks PPH. Perhaps they will just drop it quietly hoping that we all forget and don't realise what a big U turn they are doing.

You never can tell, and I am sure all the various groups will be keeping the pressure up and working on the vaccine.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-vote-delivers-blow-to-controversial-badger-cull-plan-8226362.html

Lai

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the cull was finally dropped in favour of vaccination. I think there is still a lot more to this outcome and as you say Lai I am sure all the groups will keep up the momentum of fighting for a vaccine and not a cull and not stop campaingning now, the fight isn't over yet.

Nothing as yet from my MP Nick Herbert

littlewid-x-

Another petition to keep the momentum going.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/badgers-petition#petition

Please sign and share on FB/Twitter/e-mail etc.

Thanks

Lai

Doogs. I am not sure what is happening at the moment as it's all gone very quiet ......... but it doesn't hurt to keep signing these petitions for sure.

Lai

Just done it Lai. Do you know I never did get a reply from Nick Herbert my MP, says a lot for him doesn't it

littlewid-x-

Signed Lai thanks for the Link
WS

Me neither Littlewid, but I have spoken to our MP on the badger cull issue many times so I wasn't that surprised that I didn't get something in writing !

Lai

ps. thanks for signing WS and Littlewid

I've just heard on the news that the government has said the cull will go ahead in June

Yes I've heard the same Short term fix's cause long term problems, when will they learn
WS

And will for sure lose them the next General Election - I heard there wasn't enough time to push this through!

Lai

That will just be so sad after all the support the Badgers have got. Maybe we need to keep campaigning and writing to MP's until they get fed up and write back but in truth it looks very bleak for the Badger. What else can we do? thats a genuine question not a giving up statement!

littlewid-x-

posted on the Team Badger fb site, an MP who listens and makes informed decisions

PPH only another 648 to see sense now!

Lai

WOW PPH, that was good to read and as Lai says, we now need the rest to see sense and stop the cull.

Thanks so much for posting that good news letter

littlewid-x-

Farmers Weekly

NI selective badger cull 'to begin in 2014'

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/03/02/2013/137468/ni-selective-badger-cull-39to-begin-in-201439.htm

and

DEFRA plans to launch a badger cull pilot in England this summer, while in Wales a badger vaccination programme is under way in Pembrokeshire. A spokesman for DEFRA said: "The science is clear that our policy of culling badgers as part of a conprehensive approach to tackling TB can lead to a reduction in the disease in cattle. We will be monitoring the approach under trial in Northern Ireland with interest. However, practical difficulties in capturing, anaesthetising and testing enough badgers to have a meaningful impact in reducing TB makes this approach unsuitable for use in England."

Lai

Although some badgers in Ireland will loose their lives I suppose it is better than just killing the lot which is the aim of Government here. However I do not understand why Wales can have a vaccination program and Ireland can trial a selective culling but we cannot, it just does not make good sense at all. I think the Government here are just hell bent on eradicating the badger and not interested at all on how many of the badgers can be saved. We just need to keep campaigning and pushing the issue for the sake of the Badger.
Thanks for the link Lai.

littlewid-x-

Lots going on re the badgers at the moment - I'll try and post some info tomorrow.

Lai

That would be brilliant, thanks Lai.

littlewid-x-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9858723/Badgers-are-killing-hedgehogs-and-the-cull-will-benefit-both.html

words fail me, I'm not saying that they don't do kill them but seriously how many hedgepigs are killed or maimed by human activity or cruelty. Just another story to try and get people to agree with the cull

Well I am not sure about that whether it is true or not but I am speechless! Thanks for the link PPH.

Update from 38 Degrees - 6th February

http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2013/02/06/badgers-are-back-in-danger/

Lai

I am sure there are some Badgers that do kill Hedgehogs and it's really not nice to think about it but sadly that is wildlife, however, I do agree with you PPH that so many of them are killed by drivers, I see so many on the road it's unbelievable and I also think some are just killed by idiots for fun as we have all read about before.

I think they are just using this as another ploy to back their cull campaign as they feel they may be having another battle on their hands and they think/hope the cute Hedgehog will help save it for them ( I am also a hedgie lover so I do not like to read of them being used like this used).

Many furry fluff balls......namely domestic cats, kill many species of garden birds every year. Ferral cats and some domestic cats spread FIV Feline immunodeficiency Virus ( Feline AIDS) and FeLV Feline Leukaemia Virus but do we hear of a mass culling of garden bird killers or mass culling of ferral cats? no we don't, we are asked to keep our cats indoors or fit them with collars with bells and to get cats neutered to help stop fighting and spread of disease. Is this because cats are given the name Domestic and not Wildlife?

I don't think whether they kill Hedgehogs or not is in question here, the Government are just looking for every opportunity to build a case for their cull rather than going along the same route as Wales and a vaccination programe. It's the same with many things in this country, lets go for the quick cheaper fix rather than the long term sensible option because that costs more money.

littlewid-x-

BBC News - today

Pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire approved

The pilot culls, in Gloucestershire and West Somerset, were postponed amid fears they could not be carried out effectively last autumn.

Ministers want to hold a pilot badger cull to halt the spread of tuberculosis to cattle.

The RSPCA, which opposes the cull, said it wanted to help fund vaccination.

Mr Paterson confirmed the cull at the National Farmers Union (NFU) annual conference.

He also announced a reserve pilot will also be prepared in Dorset.

Under the plans, badgers will be shot in the open without first being trapped in cages, which is current practice

more on the article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21602753

and from the NFU

http://www.nfuonline.com/News/NFU13--Badger-control-licences---comment/

and the Wildlife Trust

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/2013/02/27/government-press-ahead-badger-cull-summer

Twitter has gone crazy on it - although I am not sure what can be done now.

Lai

Thanks Lai but none of that makes for good reading at all and why have they changed their mind from capturing Badgers to shooting them in the wild? I feel they are going to shoot at random and healthy Badgers are going to be killed and some even maimed and die a very agonising death. I truly appalled by the decision to go ahead,shoot in the open and potentially kill healthy animals. I also have a huge concern that if they are shooting in the open there will not be a strict count on how many Badgers have been killed in one area.
None of this makes for bloody sense to me. There is a vaccine out there that the RSCPA have offered to fund half of and put the man power on the ground to do it and it will be cheaper, the Government just seem hell bent on culling. They have had all the scientific evidence and they are just ignoring it......my mind seems to think is this just a power thing with the Government that come hell or high water they will stick with their decision whether it makes logical sense or not. The Government is a farce and our Badgers are going to pay the price for these idiots wrong decisions.

The Government are laughable, they will spend Billions on a cull when it is not necessary as a vaccine is cheaper but what are they putting behind a new TB threat to humans that is coming across from Africa and is resistant to our medicines........nothing........they obviously care about cattle and the monetary gain from them more than they do the people of this country. The Government have put us in our place on that respect haven't they!

littlewid-x-