Secrecy promise for cull farmers to protect them from extremists
Farmers who allow badgers to be culled on their land could be granted anonymity to prevent reprisals from animal rights extremists.
Their identities would be kept secret to keep them safe from attack or harassment.
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With details of a badger cull to prevent the spread of bovine TB not likely to be released until the first half of July, Westcountry farmers have been fearful their properties, livestock and families may be attacked.
Three of the proposed 300-square kilometre hot-spot areas for culling are likely to be in the South West.
One of the region's most high-profile farmers, BBC TV presenter Adam Henson, told a farmers' meeting in Cornwall ten days ago that he had received hate mail following the screening of a Countryfile programme on the issue. It had included the warning: "We are going to burn your children," he said.
But now the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has revealed that the identity of farmers allowing culls on their land need not be released.
Kevin Pearce, the NFU's director of regions, told the WMN: "This is a massive issue and the security of our farmers is vitally important to us and an ongoing concern that their families and businesses may be targeted.
"We are trying to provide as much protection as we can and the legal advice we have received states that under the special circumstances of safety of individuals, their identity can be protected by being withheld."
If a cull is allowed, it will be carried out in the hot-spot regions by farmers and others who are formed into limited companies, who would be licensed to shoot badgers under strict supervision. The cull would be limited to 70 per cent of badgers within the specific area. Limited-company status would grant its members anonymity – and as the police would be involved in granting firearms licences, lists of names of people involved would be exempt from freedom-of-information legislation.
A lengthy consultation on the possibility of controlling the spread of bovine TB through cattle herds across the country began in the autumn and lasted through the winter.
A decision was expected from the Government towards the end of February, but an announcement was postponed for further assessment of the thousands of responses that the Government had received.
At that stage, farmer organisations feared the Government might do an about-turn on the whole issue – in the same way that it had done on the sale of Forestry Commission property following a widespread public outcry – possibly advocating a delay until an effective bovine TB vaccine was perfected for both badgers and cattle.
But within the past month the industry had been led to expect an announcement about cull details some time next week.
Yesterday, though, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced there would be a further delay.
The Defra Business Plan stated that the end date for the period of the Government's consideration of the TB consultation would now be July. With Parliament going into the summer recess on July 19, an announcement is expected to be made before then – but, with Bovine TB responsible for the destruction of 38,000 cattle last year, the farming industry is bitterly disappointed at another postponement.
Mr Pearce said: "This further delay is a blow and will only increase the level of frustration among cattle farmers who are losing livestock on the disease on a daily basis."
A limited cull of badgers in an area of Wales has been ordered by the Welsh Assembly, despite vehement protests from the environmentalist lobby, including threats from the Animal Liberation Front that it would tear down farmers' fences and damage farm buildings.
The Badger Trust, representing groups across the country, distanced itself from the threats, dissociating from any use of force or intimidation against people carrying out "officially approved procedures".
8 Comments
by miles, né Henry Blince, who is banned from posting, devon
Sunday, May 15 2011, 10:38AM
“" They are not cuddly animals that just eat worms, but killers who eat hedgehogs whilst they are still alive."
That's nature, animals kill and eat other animals. It's not all fluffy bunnies and there's not much you can do, or should do, to stop it.
Do you understand the irony of proposing to kill an animal because it kills animals? Where do you stop? Killing hedgehogs because they kill frogs? Kill frogs because they kill flies? Kill every animal on the planet because they kill animals?”
by Theo Hopkins, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 9:16PM
“I mustn't post so often.
But, is there not a story there for the WMN as to why the cull announcement has been delayed so often?
Before the election the Conservatives told us there would be a badger cull announced that year - 2010.
Then we were told it would be mid-February this year.
Then we were told it would be mid-May (which cynics took to mean after the local elections).
Now we are being told it will be mid-July (which cynics will say is just before Parliament and our MPs go of on generous holidays, so no questions can then be asked in the House of Commons).
What's up?
Why so many delays?
Time for the (excellent) WMN to do a bit of investigative journalism, and not just report.”
by Urban Leprechaun, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 8:58PM
“Formatting problems! This software doesn't like square brackets. So let's try again.
Editor.
I am not happy with this sentence..
"The Badger Trust, representing groups across the country, distanced itself from the threats, dissociating from any use of force or intimidation against people carrying out "officially approved procedures"."
In the use of the word "distanced" implies there could be some measure of acceptance within some in the Badger Trust for illegal action. Such as they had considered illegal action. The Badger trust is _unequivocal_ about condemning illegality and _always has been_.”
by Urban Leprechaun, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 8:53PM
“Editor.
I am not happy with this sentence..
In the use of the word "distanced" implies there could be some measure of acceptance within some in the Badger Trust for illegal action. The Badger trust is _unequivocal_ about condemning illegality and _always_ has been.”
by Theo Hopkins, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 5:44PM
“Let's get this clear.
I unequivocally condemn any criminal activity by animal rights or animal welfare individuals if a cull takes place. OK?
However, in a Commons EFRA (Environment Farming and Rural Affairs) committee looking into badgers and bovine TB, the NFU recognised that there was illegal culling going on. The NFU witness being questioned said " [They] did not condone" illegal culling. That's a bit wishy-washy in my mind.
Is the NFU prepared to come out an say they also "unequivocally condemn any illegal culling"?”
by Urban Leprechaun, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 2:06PM
“@Grumpy G.
Oh this sudden love for the hedgehog from badger cull supporters. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, however, is not calling for a badger cull.
Ground nesting birds. Yes! Pheasants, grouse and partridges. (Oh, and add in lapwings to make it look like we care).
Honey bees? Sorry, you have got the propaganda wrong here. It is _bumblebees_ that badgers are meant to destroy. But the Bumblebee Society (yes, there is such) blames new farming practices for bumblebee losses, due to cutting hay and silage so close to the ground.
But being propaganda, the farming lobby fails to inform us that fewer badgers mean more foxes and more rabbits, though this is found in the same research as the foxes, bumblebees and ground-nesting birds research.
The farming lobby are stoopid... they think they can set the badger people against the hedgehog people. But when the Welsh Farmers Union approached the Hedgehog Trust for a joint stand on culling badgers to save the hedgehog, (without a word on bTB, of course) the Hedgehog Trust told them (but more politely) to take a "running jump".
We are not stupid, Mr Grumpy G. :)”
by Grumpy G, Sidmouth
Saturday, May 14 2011, 1:00PM
“No one has ever suggested killing every last badger: this is to bring the population back to what it was before badgers were made a protected species. They are not cuddly animals that just eat worms, but killers who eat hedgehogs whilst they are still alive. Yes, I have seen this happen, and it was most distressing. They also eat ground nesting birds and their eggs, so much so that some birds, such as the lapwing, are themselves becoming endangered. They are also wiping out the bee population, by digging out the nests. Badgers love honey, then the bee has nothing itself to live on. The trouble is is that the badger is at the top of the food chain and they have no natural enemies, and there are just far too many of them and they have become pests; rather like the seagull, but that is another story for another day,,,,,”
by Theo Hopkins, Devon
Saturday, May 14 2011, 11:35AM
“So as a landowner with badger on his land, how will I know what is happening on neighbouring land? I don't have to allow a cull on my land (it is an 'opt in' cull). Especially when "my" badgers wander onto neighbouring land where they may be shot?
Animal extremists aside, we have here private individuals carrying out a state policy that is very decisive and contentious - yet it may be carried out in secret?
Big Society anyone? How can we monitor a cull as active citizens if we don't know what is happening?
The reality is there will be illegal culling and the police National Wildlife Crime Unit are already planning to deal with this - as revealed in the WMN.
"Countryman" does not equal "inherently law abiding".
It will not be extremists the farming lobby and Jim Paice really worry about. It is Mr and Mrs Jones capturing a gamekeeper laughing as he tosses a couple of badgers into the back of his pick-up, on their camera phone. And especially Mr and Mrs J capturing the keeper tossing a few badgers that have been illegally culled.”