Badger Trust alleges Cull Trials 'rigged'
The Badger Trust has alleged that the two pilot culls designed to investigate if the culling of badgers will meaningfully reduce instances of Bovine Tuberculosis have been 'rigged from the start'. They argue that the two areas chosen in West Somerset and West Gloucestershire were deliberately chosen 'as the most suitable to pilot controlled shooting of badgers' and not in the spirit of scientific inquiry. The charity also states that any trial in an area selected under the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affair's criteria 'cannot possibly be science-led' and would be 'useless if the methods were applied to other areas.'
“Furthermore, no indications have yet been provided of how the pilot trials will be adequately and independently monitored to ensure they are effective and humane. There are no details of any plausible means of measuring the effects of shooting over six weeks in areas of at least eight miles by eight (150 sq km),” a statement said, before adding “The Trust and its legal advisers are studying this and any other statements that may be forthcoming before deciding whether or not to start legal proceedings.”
A DEFRA spokesman responded to the trust's allegations by clarifying some matters of contention, foremost of which is that the pilots are not meant to be scientific trials.
“The science already shows that badger control if done in the right way can be effective in tackling this devastating disease. The pilots will allow the careful examination of how safe, human and effective controlled shooting is and the independent panel will carefully consider the design and conduct of the pilots to enable a thorough examination of this,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Humane Society International/UK has raised the concern that badger populations are at risk of being completely wiped out by “farmers with guns and a grudge.” HSI/UK has submitted a formal complaint to the Bern Convention, arguing that the proposed cull poses a significant threat to local badger populations, lacks ‘legitimate purpose’, and that alternative strategies for controlling tuberculosis in cattle and badgers have not been sufficiently explored.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
