Full-scale badger cull set to get government go-ahead

[dipsydoodle]

The government is poised to give the go-ahead to the first full-scale cull of badgers in England, under a policy that could soon mean as many as 100,000 of the animals – a third of the national population – are shot dead by farmers in an attempt to protect cattle from bovine tuberculosis.

According to Whitehall sources, the first of two licences is expected to be issued as soon as Monday for a large pilot cull area in Gloucestershire, which is a hotspot for bovine TB.

Previously, there have been localised trials to test the science behind such culls. Yet despite the mixed results of the tests, ministers have decided to push ahead with the national scheme after winning an appeal-court battle brought by campaigners last week.

In 2011, 26,000 cows were slaughtered because of the disease, which can also be carried by badgers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/16/badger-cull-government-go-ahead

Science advisor says badger cull plan is a 'crazy scheme'

The scientist whose research is being cited by the government to justify its plan to cull badgers in England has described the scheme as "crazy".

Lord Krebs spoke to BBC News after the government's environment advisory body Natural England has issued a culling licence to a consortium of landowners in Gloucestershire.

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The culls will be monitored by an independent group for a period of six weeks. If the body is satisfied that the culls are effective and humane it will advise ministers to continue the trials for four years.

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The plan is based on the results of a nine-year trial which showed that the spread of the disease could be slowed slightly if more than 70% of badgers in an area could be eradicated. If it was less than 70% - the spread of TB to cattle might even increase.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19623931

Government accidentally includes ‘poor people’ in Badger cull licence

The government today made it legal for farmers to shoot poor people, insisting it was a mere oversight which they will correct just as soon as they have time.

The licence gives farmers permission to shoot up to 70% of poor people in certain designated areas referred to in the licence as ‘Labour strongholds’.

Defra Minister David Heath said: “Our priority has always been to ensure that any culling of poor people is carried out in a safe, humane and effective way.”

“Did I say poor people again? I mean badgers, obviously.”

http://newsthump.com/2012/09/17/government-accidentally-includes-poor-people-in-badger-cull-licence/

[cspanlovr]

1. Honey badger don't care! ;)

[Nihil]

2. What a totally disgusting scheme

> The scientist whose research is being cited by the government to justify its plan to
> cull badgers in England has described the scheme as "crazy".

> The plan is based on the results of a nine-year trial which showed that the spread
> of the disease could be slowed slightly if more than 70% of badgers
> in an area could be eradicated.

[geardaddy]

3. Idiots. So, how are they going to keep the rodents in check.

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/songs/badgers/

[dipsydoodle]

4. New government dossier ‘proves that badgers possess WMD’

Under pressure to justify the mass slaughter of the badger population, the government has released a dossier which appears to show that badgers have – and are in imminent likelihood of using – nuclear weapons.

“It’s a very tough decision that we’ve had to take,” said David Heath, a minister at Defra.

“But this dossier clearly explains why we’ve had to act.”

However there was scepticism that badgers do actually possess weapons of mass destruction.

Read more: http://newsthump.com/2012/09/21/new-government-dossier-proves-that-badgers-possess-wmd/#ixzz275zXRkAg