Badger cull petition

[RonManager]

Chris Packham is highlighting this emotive issue on the social network.

 

If anyone is interested in signing the petition then it's here.

 

Chris says that 100,000 signatures are required, at the moment 23k have signed.

 

 

Chris Packham ‏@ChrisGPackham

Badgers - so now its really down to us . This petition needs 100K names to work . Its got 23609 . Please sign it http://tinyit.cc/ddb2b

 

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

[eurosaint]

If I could catch the little barsteward that keeps digging up my lawn, I'd shoot it myself !

(Have to admit though that I don't actually have a gun:))

[Essruu]

You almost caught me out, you little tinker, Ron.

 

People, BEWARE: the petition is to STOP the cull, NOT in support of it. Don't fall for this scam attempt.

[Jonnyboy]

You almost caught me out, you little tinker, Ron.

 

People, BEWARE: the petition is to STOP the cull, NOT in support of it. Don't fall for this scam attempt.

 

I signed up for the iPhone obsessive cull poll.

[sussexsaint]

Signed it already , a very sad state of affairs.

[RonManager]

Chris Packham ‏@ChrisGPackham

If you want to read the plain simple truth about the Badger cull read this http://www.chrispackham.co.uk and then please sign the petition . Thanks

[rocknrollman no2]

Signed.

The government could just as easily innoculate against this disease ,then there would be no need to kill thousands of badgers.

[badgerx16]

People, BEWARE: the petition is to STOP the cull, NOT in support of it.

 

Good. Lord Krebs was on R4 this evening and said that eliminating badgers in any area of farmland would reduce the level of bovine TB by no more than 15%, almost all cases are transmitted from cattle to cattle.

 

From the final report presented to the Labour Government : ( http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/tb/isg/report/final_report.pdf )

 

"careful evaluation of our own and others’ data indicates that badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain."

 

"Scientific findings indicate that the rising incidence of disease can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of

cattle-based control measures alone."

 

"we consider it likely that licensing farmers (or their appointees) to cull badgers would not only fail to achieve a beneficial effect, but would

entail a substantial risk of increasing the incidence of cattle TB and spreading the disease"

[badgerx16]

Signed.

 

 

 

 

Badger power !!

[TopGun]

Signed

[RonManager]

Chris Packham ‏@ChrisGPackham

And big thanks to all those for taking the time to sign the petition . Its now at 30722 , nearly a third of the way there .

[Huffton]

Why do we need to waste more taxpayers money paying someone to kill them? From the amount I've seen on the side of the road they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves..

[RonManager]

Why do we need to waste more taxpayers money paying someone to kill them? From the amount I've seen on the side of the road they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves..

Yes they are rather good at it.

 

Unfortunately, a large percentage are found to have been shot and/or poisoned, then subsequently dumped on the roadside to look like roadkill, foxes too.

Edited 17 September, 2012 by RonManager

[RonManager]

GusTheFox ‏@GusTheFox

Got a new best mate. Badger called Keith Rice. Nice lad. Proper ****ed off about being murdered by the government over the coming months.

 

http://www.gusthefox.com/

[RonManager]

Bump

Up to 66k now

 

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

[Hatch]

can the forum let me know what my opinion is on this please?

 

Basically, I am in the 'couldn't give a fark either way' camp at the moment

[Durleyfos]

Now, I like badgers, but I also like cows. But which is best...

[RonManager]

Now, I like badgers, but I also like cows. But which is best...

 

You decide (in Big Brother style Geordie accent leyk, yahnaa).

 

http://www.teambadger.org/

 

http://cowappreciationsociety.wordpress.com/

[Manuel]

Mmmm, this is not as black and white as I thought.

[BadgerBadger]

Be safe fellow badgers we're up to 71k

[buctootim]

If anyone is interested in signing the petition then it's here.

 

Chris says that 100,000 signatures are required, at the moment 23k have signed.

 

 

Chris Packham ‏@ChrisGPackham

Badgers - so now its really down to us . This petition needs 100K names to work . Its got 23609 . Please sign it http://tinyit.cc/ddb2b

 

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

 

Be safe fellow badgers we're up to 71k

 

 

Good work Ron. You've added 48k, well done!

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Whereas I admire the sentiments put forward I think it is only fair to put forward the other side of the story. I think it has been poorly presented. This may only have been an issue for most of you for a few years but actually it has been a problem that has escalated for twenty years or more and nothing has been done. The relationship between badgers and TB in cattle is well chronicled - ask yourselves why in Scotland where there are very few badgers the EU declare it free of TB. If you farmed cattle or had a dairy herd you have had to live with the trauma of a TB testing for years you might have more sympathy. The tragedy of losing a prize bull or one of your best heffers to a negative test is very demoralising especially when this has been such a political issue and nothing has been done. You are just told to live with it. Not only does a negative test mean you lose your animal you also have restrictions put on your where you can sell your cattle. Now I may have a different attitude to animals but I am passionate about the countryside and the fauna within it. I have watched the badger population explode in the last three decades. When I was a child you were delighted to see a badger, now I will see them most evenings out and about. This has had repercussions for other wildlife; bees have had to suffer and ground nesting birds. I would also like you to think about the hedgehogs; when did you last see one run over and how many did you used to see? Yes they kill them. The badger population explosion (and slug pellets where I might be less sympathetic to the farming community) has hit them massively hard. The trouble is in my mind the fact that there are too many badgers, and that is part of the problem, when you had a few badgers they were relatively healthy but there are so many now that the sheer numbers mean they are more susceptible to TB. I am not pretending to be an expert on these things but I just think that the other side of the story should be told. Ultimately something needs to be done or we will not be able to farm cattle in this country. We have sat on our hands for too long.

Edited 20 September, 2012 by Sergei Gotsmanov

[Deeps]

Hi Sergei, One of the reasons you are seeing more badgers is due to them being forced away from their usual habitat by the massive building projects of Housing estates

[badgerx16]

ask yourselves why in Scotland where there are very few badgers there is no TB in cattle.

 

Sorry, but that is incorrect, Scotand is defined as 'TB free' by the EU, but this does not mean what it says - in fact it reflects a 'low and stable' level of TB infection in Scottish cattle :

 

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/tb/control/scotland.htm

 

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/latest-news/sixty-cattle-slaughtered-after-bovine-tb-outbreak-in-scotland/46262.article

 

http://www.bovinetb.info/scotland.php

 

http://scottishbadgers.org.uk/newsite/downloads/tbpaper.pdf

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Sorry, but that is incorrect, Scotand is defined as 'TB free' by the EU, but this does not mean what it says - in fact it reflects a 'low and stable' level of TB infection in Scottish cattle :

 

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/tb/control/scotland.htm

 

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/latest-news/sixty-cattle-slaughtered-after-bovine-tb-outbreak-in-scotland/46262.article

 

http://www.bovinetb.info/scotland.php

 

http://scottishbadgers.org.uk/newsite/downloads/tbpaper.pdf

 

Myabe I should have phrased it as not such a problem - you still get tested. Compare it to the West Country. In Scotland Red Deer are probably more of a TB issue but there numbers have been hit hard by the cold of 2010 and the wet of 2011.

 

I read the threads and actually think Badger that rather than being incorrect that is simply nit picking on your behalf. The EU recognise Scotland as TB free.

Edited 20 September, 2012 by Sergei Gotsmanov

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Hi Sergei, One of the reasons you are seeing more badgers is due to them being forced away from their usual habitat by the massive building projects of Housing estates

 

There are simply more badgers. I think if you want to build on a badger set you have to go through a lot of red tape.

[dubai_phil]

Meh let the cows die. 's are cute

 

Eat Australian or New Zealand Beef.

 

At the Supermarket quality level there is NO comparison EU Beef sucks

 

Oh, sorry forgot, you can't

 

Kill the murderous Badger bstds then

[badgerx16]

 

Kill the murderous Badger bstds then

 

Be afraid, be very afraid

[CB Saint]

Are they dead yet?

[JPTCount]

this comes down to two options, let the badgers kill the cows with disease, or kill the badgers.

 

badgers are nasty, filthy evil creatures. cows taste amazing. cows win!

[badgerx16]

this comes down to two options, let the badgers kill the cows with disease......

 

Where do you think badgers catch BOVINE TB from ?

[JPTCount]

Where do you think badgers catch BOVINE TB from ?

 

well no ****, not like there are wild cows are travelling and breeding with no control.

 

if the cows have something that can harm us then they get slaughtered.

 

it's a simple chain humans>>>cows>>>badgers.

 

if u wanna inoculate all animals go ahead, culling them just seems easier and cheaper.

[badgerx16]

well no ****, not like there are wild cows are travelling and breeding with no control.

 

if the cows have something that can harm us then they get slaughtered.

 

it's a simple chain humans>>>cows>>>badgers.

 

if u wanna inoculate all animals go ahead, culling them just seems easier and cheaper.

 

You miss the point - if there were no badgers whatsoever, cows would still get TB - they catch it from other cows. Inoculation is the ONLY way to stop the disease.

 

{ Badgerx16 ( BSc Microbiolgy ). }

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

You miss the point - if there were no badgers whatsoever, cows would still get TB - they catch it from other cows. Inoculation is the ONLY way to stop the disease.

 

{ Badgerx16 ( BSc Microbiolgy ). }

 

But Badger, they would not get TB so much - like in Scotland. That is the whole point of the cull.

[badgerx16]

But Badger, they would not get TB so much - like in Scotland. That is the whole point of the cull.

 

But the Government's line is that this is the most effective, if not the only, way to control TB in cattle. This is a blatant untruth. A cull of the badger population will not significantly limit outbreaks, as the documents referenced earlier in this thread show. Scotland enjoys it's status primarily because of the controls on the shipment of herds and veterinary screening.

[This Charming Man]

Can we just introduce a large predator to control the badgers?

 

Bring back wolves I say.

[JPTCount]

But the Government's line is that this is the most effective, if not the only, way to control TB in cattle. This is a blatant untruth. A cull of the badger population will not significantly limit outbreaks, as the documents referenced earlier in this thread show. Scotland enjoys it's status primarily because of the controls on the shipment of herds and veterinary screening.

 

fair enough, I am no expert.

 

but why would the government want to kill badgers if it has no impact? if there is no evidence to support this decision then they must have an ulterior motive? sounds like this could be huge, and packhams gonna find the truth!

 

tbh I am already bias. I hate stories like this, it's a badger, it will eat ur face off given half a chance, I just dont like hippies, especially badger huggers!

[badgerx16]

Can we just introduce a large predator to control the badgers?

 

Bring back wolves I say.

 

An adult badger would probably kill a wolf, a brown bear might cause it a problem though.

[badgerx16]

fair enough, I am no expert.

 

but why would the government want to kill badgers if it has no impact? if there is no evidence to support this decision then they must have an ulterior motive? sounds like this could be huge, and packhams gonna find the truth!

 

tbh I am already bias. I hate stories like this, it's a badger, it will eat ur face off given half a chance, I just dont like hippies, especially badger huggers!

 

From Chris Packham's site, as linked above :

"'I think the most interesting observation was made to me by a senior politician who said, “fine John we accept your science, but we have to offer the farmers a carrot. And the only carrot we can possibly give them is culling badgers.’

Professor John Bourne "

Edited 21 September, 2012 by badgerx16

[JPTCount]

so the farmers are in on it too...? makes sense though. farmers love nothing more than badger culling.

[JPTCount]

why doesnt he just name the politician?

[OldNick]

Culling beavers does that count?

[sussexsaint]

But the Government's line is that this is the most effective, if not the only, way to control TB in cattle. This is a blatant untruth. A cull of the badger population will not significantly limit outbreaks, as the documents referenced earlier in this thread show. Scotland enjoys it's status primarily because of the controls on the shipment of herds and veterinary screening.

 

Its sickening, I have fed my garden badgers for the last 8 years and now get very close to them. I have spent hours watching them and its a real thrill to see each years new litter of cubs. Its been amazing to share this with my kids and friends. What started as a photography project has turned into a real passion. They are spectacular , gentle animals, to think that they are being slaughtered for no good reason is appauling. If we let this go on in our own back yard we have no cause to critcize other nations treatment of animals.

[Manuel]

79,000 now. I didn't know so many people read this site.

[Manuel]

Just seen who started the petition, "Dr Brian May CBE".

[rooney]

For Years TB Reactors in cows have been increasing considerably with a result that hundreds have to be slaughtered at the expense of the tax payer and the compensation farmers get is nothing like the value of the animal. This nonsense has just got to stop as the problem has escalated since badgers were made a protected species in the 1970's. We never see dead hedgehogs on our roads any more, simply badgers. That just shows how many are carrying this terrible disease. Farmers are leaving the dairy industry in droves and if nothing is done milk and beef will eventually rise in price just like the cost of fuel. Surely no tax payer will want that.

[dingbattigger]

Farmers are leaving the dairy industry in droves and if nothing is done milk and beef will eventually rise in price just like the cost of fuel. Surely no tax payer will want that.

 

 

That has very little to do with anything other than the pittance they are paid for producing the milk

[rooney]

That has very little to do with anything other than the pittance they are paid for producing the milk

 

Incorrect, milk prices are part of the problem but not entirtely. The sale of surplus heifers form a large part of their Gross Margin.

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

fair enough, I am no expert.

 

but why would the government want to kill badgers if it has no impact? if there is no evidence to support this decision then they must have an ulterior motive? sounds like this could be huge, and packhams gonna find the truth!

 

tbh I am already bias. I hate stories like this, it's a badger, it will eat ur face off given half a chance, I just dont like hippies, especially badger huggers!

 

Er, I think you're mistaking Brock for Honey Badgers, which are the most savage mammals known. (except maybe Tory MPs)

[badgerx16]

For Years TB Reactors in cows have been increasing considerably with a result that hundreds have to be slaughtered at the expense of the tax payer and the compensation farmers get is nothing like the value of the animal. This nonsense has just got to stop as the problem has escalated since badgers were made a protected species in the 1970's. We never see dead hedgehogs on our roads any more, simply badgers. That just shows how many are carrying this terrible disease. Farmers are leaving the dairy industry in droves and if nothing is done milk and beef will eventually rise in price just like the cost of fuel. Surely no tax payer will want that.

 

http://www.badger.org.uk/_Attachments/Resources/16_S4.pdf

 

"A major new report1 published on 2 October 2006 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences, the United States’ premier scientific journal, has revealed that cattle rapidly infect badgers

with bovine TB.

The hugely significant findings mean that by controlling bovine TB in cattle through better TB

testing, the prevalence of TB will also be reduced in badgers. That, in turn, further reduces the

small risk that badgers pose to cattle.

The research, from the Krebs Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), also confirms that killing

badgers increases bovine TB in badger populations, probably by disrupting badgers’ otherwise

stable social order and by increasing the amount of contact that badgers have with cattle.

This finding means that badger culling has no place in any science-based strategy to control bovine

TB. Instead, leaving badgers in peace will reduce the prevalence of TB in badgers and, again,

reduce the risk that they pose to cattle.

Significantly, the research has been peer-reviewed by independent, international scientists, so it

cannot be undermined by the minority of out-of-touch vets who profess to have a better scientific

understanding of the complex dynamics of this disease."