DEADLINE 7th December 2010 to Save Our Badgers

http://www.badgerprotectionleague.com/

Thousands of badgers in England will be slaughtered unless you act now by signing this petition!!

The UK Government has issued a consultation asking you the public, whether the shooting of the Badgers - either cage, trapped or free running - by farmers and land owners should be allowed under license.

Please act now and visit http://www.badgerprotectionleague.com/ 
After December 7th 2020 it will be too late!!

URGENT!!
It is the government%u2019s intention to kill badgers in 2011 as part of a control
to stop the spread of Bovine TB in cattle. This is despite robust and sound
science that proves it has %u2018no meaningful contribution to the control
of Bovine TB in cattle%u2019.
The Government is holding a consultation suggesting different methods
and asking you, the general public to tell them what you want to see
happen. They have said that they will listen to the replies to this consultation
but they have not made it easy for people to reply Below,

The Badger
Trust details suggestions as to how to reply. If you do not want to
see badgers cage trapped and shot or free running badgers killed
with a rifle %u2013 please take the time to reply.

Their lives are literally

in your hands

This has to be the heading to your reply (we

have been told that they may not consider your

reply if it is not headed with this statement):

Bovine Tuberculosis: The Government%u2019s

approach to tackling the disease and

consultation on a badger control policy.

Response to Consultation Document issued by Defra

PLEASE HELP US PERSUADE THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO

LICENSE THE KILLING OF BADGERS

How can you help?

%uF0B7 Read the consultation document at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/tbcontrol-

measures/index.htm

%uF0B7 Reply to its 8 questions (see Response to Consultation document below).

This is the most important of the ways in which you can help.

%uF0B7 Write to your local MP at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA and tell

him/her of your views. You can find your MP at www.parliament.uk

%uF0B7 Write to your local newspaper and raise publicity about the futility of killing

badgers as a means of combating bTB.

Response to Consultation document

%uF0B7 There are 8 questions.

%uF0B7 It is only Question 1 that requires comments.

%uF0B7 Questions 2 %u2013 8 can be answered by simply replying either Yes or No but we

recommend that you make a comment to at least one question.

%uF0B7 Obviously, you should and must express whatever views you have on the subject

and are not bound to follow our position.

%uF0B7 Wherever a comment is entered it is extremely important to use your own words

rather than repeating what is given here.

%uF0B7 However if you find responding to all 8 questions too daunting or time

consuming, please simply reply to Question 1 of the Consultation stating

whether or not you approve of the killing of badgers.

Question 1 %u2013 Comments are invited on the options, costs and assumptions

made in the Impact Assessment.

You may wish to answer this by saying in your own words either that:-

%uF0B7 you are against the unnecessary killing of all wildlife or

%uF0B7 the scientific evidence does not support the cull or

%uF0B7 killing badgers will not solve TB in cattle or

%uF0B7 it will make matters worse or

%uF0B7 the consultation document is too complex for the general public to understand or

%uF0B7 by making some of the above points or any others that occur to you, in your own

words..

If you wish to expand your answer slightly, the perturbation issue could be

mentioned. Culling has never previously been undertaken in the way suggested,

therefore it is impossible to know whether it will replicate the results of the

Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). There will be winners and losers and the

negatives could outweigh the positives. Some farms in the core of the cull area may

benefit whereas some outside and on the periphery will lose. Who will compensate

them? The Government%u2019s preferred option 6 is not viable financially as it will cost

more than it will save. The outcome cannot be measured and the cull cannot be

effectively monitored. Why take such a huge risk when the use of vaccination is in

sight?

If you have a depth of knowledge of the badger and its ecology, probably gained

from many years%u2019 interest in the subject, you may wish to examine the document in

detail. You will probably conclude that amongst other matters, the seven criteria for

the licence to be issued present a major weakness. Question 1 provides an ideal

opportunity to voice concerns on the criteria.

For Questions 2 %u2013 8, you must answer either Yes or No to each

question. You may make further comments in your own words.

Please read the question and comments given below very carefully

before answering.

Question 2 %u2013 Do you agree with the preferred option?

In the opinion of Badger Trust, the guidelines will not be followed and the preferred

option is untenable.

Question 3 %u2013 Do you agree that this approach, of issuing licences to

farmers/landowners, is the most appropriate way to operate a badger control

policy?

It is the opinion of Badger Trust that this approach cannot be sustained or effectively

monitored.

Question 4 %u2013 Do you agree with the proposed licensing criteria for culling and

vaccination?

It follows from the comments already made that a cull is not supported by Badger

Trust. It is impossible to fulfil the criteria and there is no feasible way in which this

can be carried out in such a way as to prevent the spread of disease.

Question 5 %u2013 Do you agree that the proposed methods of culling are effective

and humane?

Badger Trust cannot agree to this. It will be impossible to ensure a clean, humane

kill with free shooting. Badgers will not stand still, they will run and will not present

an easy target. Many may not be killed outright and will suffer needlessly before

death. The safety of the general public is also a significant consideration as it will be

impossible to guarantee their safety in and around the cull area.

Question 6 %u2013 Do you agree with the proposed use of vaccination, particularly

its focus on mitigating the perturbation effects of culling?

Badger Trust is strongly opposed to this. The combination of vaccination and culling

has not been demonstrated to be beneficial and is unlikely to mitigate the

perturbation effects of culling. There is no evidence that it can negate the

perturbation effect. Any culling causes perturbation, where badgers not killed will

become stressed and are likely to move around, perhaps taking bTB with them.

Question 7 %u2013 Should anything further be done to encourage the use of

vaccination?

It is the intention of Badger Trust to respond positively to this question. Vaccination

on its own will be beneficial and has to be the sustainable option. The development

of a badger vaccine to be orally delivered should remain a high priority.

Question 8 %u2013 Do you agree with the proposed monitoring?

Badger Trust considers that the proposed monitoring is clearly inadequate and

cannot be expected to reveal inconsistencies or non-compliance with the licensing

conditions. In most cases it is impossible to be sure how many badgers there are in

a sett. We question how the welfare issues can be monitored, e.g. how can the

humane killing of badgers be ensured?

Responses which must arrive by 8th December 2010 can be sent by any of the

following options:-

%uF0B7 By post to TBBC mailbox, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P

3JR (A pro-forma of the questions can be down-loaded from the Badger Trust

website www.badgertrust.org.uk)

%uF0B7 E-mail tbbc@defra.gsi.gov.uk

%uF0B7 Fax 0207 238 6431

Do make it clear that you are responding to the Consultation and keep a copy of your

response.