Farmer linked to badger cull calls in police after threats

“Badger cull in the interests of no one.

Once again a British government has chosen to seek the best possible scientific advice and then ignore it! The licensed killing of badgers in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset could achieve a number of things. It could further advertise the unwelcome existence of bovine tuberculosis in British dairy herds. It could polarise opinion in the countryside and unite political opposition everywhere else. It could cost the farmers involved more than they could gain. It will almost certainly provoke active protest and put even more pressure on already hard-pressed police forces.

What it will almost certainly not do is limit bovine tuberculosis, even in the target zones of Gloucestershire and Somerset. It might be helpful to list those things that are certain. Human tuberculosis is a dangerous disease. Bovine tuberculosis is a real problem for dairy farmers – who in any case have been paid too little for their milk and who have been going out of business for decades – and the disease lives on in the wild badger population. But by 1996, a policy of identification and slaughter had reduced the incidence of bovine TB in dairy herds in England and Wales to less than half a per cent, and the risk of direct transmission to humans has – with the pasteurisation of milk – long ago become negligible. The last and most systematic examination of the link between badgers and bovine TB found that, indeed, there was transmission, and proposed a series of systematic, randomised controlled trials over a sustained period to see whether culling could provide an answer. In 2003, the government, farmers, public health officers and wildlife campaigners got the answer: shooting and gassing did not eliminate, and could possibly spread, the disease. That may be because badgers disturbed in one area could migrate, taking the infection with them. The answer, delivered by Lord Krebs and the distinguished statisticians and zoologists who examined the results, could hardly be clearer: killing will not solve the problem. Lord Krebs's scientific credentials are not in doubt. He was trusted by successive British governments to head the Natural Environment Research Council, and to chair the Food Standards Agency. And he has just described the latest plan as a "crazy scheme".

http://tinyurl.com/bvjp9rv”

“100,000 signed :
Off to celebrate.
It's BADGERMONDAY!!!!!!!”

“What in Gloucester!!!!????? I can't see many from Devon going all that way to get a pinta.”

“Riverford Organic, Crooked end Farm Mitcheldean & Jess's Ladies Dairy Gloucester have said they are against the cull. So at least there are some places to buy a pint of milk. Guess their sales will be going through the roof soon.”

“I don't know about the 38 degrees petition , is that the current one or the one from yonks ago? I can't keep up with everything they send me :((

I know all about the government trials going on at present and some of their results. They are still in their early years so there won't be much output from them at the moment.

I can tell you for a fact that one private trial has thrown up some nasty results on badgers who already have TB. When cut open most of the badgers organs are covered with lesions ( abcesses filled with pus) They had to be put down because of the pain they were seen to be in......and no I can't show you proof of this at present because as I said it is a private trial.

ps have you any idea why, when vets or RSPCA members get anywhere near badgers, they wear full protective clothing, masks and gloves? :{{”

“38 degrees petition is nowhere near 100,000. Only just under 70,000 when I last looked.
There may be 50 / 60 million people in the country but how many even know about e petitions? It is no easy task to get 100,000 signatures that's why the government decided on that figure.

Badgers are being vaccinated against tuberculosis (TB) in Shropshire in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease among cattle.

The five-year scheme, launched by Shropshire Wildlife Trust, is in response to a government-run trial badger cull in Gloucestershire.

The trust said it hoped to show vaccination was a more effective and more humane way of controlling TB.”

“100,000 signatures on a petition when there are between 57/60+ MILLION population. When you look at it like that it is miniscule. '38 degrees' got more or less the same and they had good solicitors and they didn't manage to stop the cull.!!!!”

“Glad I am preventing you from being bored.
Tell me do you think that this government is stupid enough to ignore 100,000 people just to placate a few farmers?
How can you tell 70% when you dont know 100%?.
Public opinion is overwhelmingly against the cull. Protests are being planned outside supermaekets to inform people where their milk comes from and how some of it will be tainted with badgers blood.”

“@EJANDODIN .....I can't speak for Charles but my work of writing reports keeps me at my computer for much of the day. The Ti sites along with others are running all the time. (and no I am not a moderator or anything to do with Northcliffe)

Thankfully my words on this subject, are read and inwardly digested by people higher up the chain. Because of Charles's vast knowledge on this subject and also some commenters in the FG their words are also read and inwardly digested.

I do read all anti cull comments to decipher what lack of knowledge is out there in the general population. It is filling rather a lot of my pc's memory. Just as well I have more than one pc and memory sticks.

Please keep up with the invectives as it breaks the day and anyway they are like water off a duck's back and are therefore reviving me when I start to doze.”

“2ladybugs : You certainly must have a lot of spare time on your hands. You and Charles are everywhere. It's a pity that it is the same old rubbish you are promoting.
Anti cull petition heading for 100,000 today. Trending at 614 signed in the last hour. I have had friends in the US emailing all their contacts over here so they can sign the petition. Also support from Finland and Spain.”