ITPAS - Badgers Jan 2008

BADGERS

UPDATED ARTICLE JANUARY 2008

The need to be vigilant to protect these fine creatures has not gone away, with recent incidents on Wirral demonstrating that people still go out with dogs spades & torches 'Badger Baiting' to endure no other gain than to kill. Please call 999 if you see anything suspicious.

Another threat is, believe it or not, the Government! Read Lesley Brockbanks' article below to find out what's going on and how YOU can help...

To cull or not to cull?

As we start 2008 the Government is still to decide what action it is going to take in its attempts to eradicate or control bTB in cattle.

Members may be aware of recent media coverage following the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Prof David King’s recommendation for a badger cull to control bTB in cattle.

The recommendation contradicts advice given by the ISG (Independent Scientific Group), advice which the Government itself had sought. In its final report published in June 2007 the ISG said that ”badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain .” The ISG advises that bTB can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of cattle-based measures alone. The report was the culmination of ten years of scientific research, costing £50 million. Almost 11,000 badgers were killed in the trial (known as the Krebs Trial after Prof Sir John Krebs who proposed it). Prof King’s advice contradicts that of Prof Sir John Krebs.

It is vitally important that we keep pressure on the Government (via our MPs) to ensure that badger culling disappears off the agenda once and for all! Please write to your MP at the House of Commons and ask that they do not support any further culling of badgers and to pass this message on to the relevant minister. Please also encourage him/her to support Early Day Motion 240 put forward by Paul Flynn MP. http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34347&SESSION=891

Please include the following points in your letter:

	For over 30 years the culling of badgers has led to no reduction in bTB in cattle
	The Government has said that its bTB strategy will be based on scientific evidence. The Krebs Trial produced that evidence
	The Government should accept the ISG’s report which it commissioned
	The ISG has reported that cattle to cattle transmission is the major route of infection
	bTB can be controlled by improving the cattle testing regime
	The ISG has said that “badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain ”.

Further information can be found at www.badgertrust.org.uk & www.rspca.org.uk/badgers

There are also two petitions to sign: 10 Downing Street petition: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/stop-badger-cull

and RSPCA petition: http://www.backoffbadgers.org.uk

It is time the Government stopped using the badger as a scapegoat. Please do all you can before the Government makes the decision to proceed with a mass slaughter of badgers?

Thank you

Lesley Brockbank