Dorset reserve site for controversial badger cull

12:47pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News

Dorset reserve site for controversial badger cull Dorset reserve site for controversial badger cull

LAND in Dorset has been earmarked as a reserve site for controversial badger culls set to go ahead later this year.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has told MPs that culls are set to go ahead in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset after final licence conditions were met He said that a further area in Dorset has been earmarked as a reserve area in case one of the pilots cannot proceed, he added in a written statement to Parliament.

The pilot culls were postponed amid fears they could not be carried out effectively in autumn last year.

 

The monkeys have been given the keys to the banana cage - Badger cull licenses have been granted . Another dark day for British Wildlife .

— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) February 27, 2013


But Mr Paterson said Natural England had written to the two companies set to carry out the pilots confirming that final conditions in their licences had been met ''meaning that culling can go ahead there later this year''.

The culls are aimed at tackling TB in cattle, which can be spread by badgers.

Mr Paterson said: ''I know there is great strength of feeling on badger culling, but I also know that we need to take action now before the situation deteriorates even further. We need to tackle all transmission routes of TB using all available tools.''

He said the pilots were ''part of the Government's science-led and carefully managed policy''. Mr Paterson said licences were issued to companies to carry out the pilot culls before they were postponed.

''Today, Natural England have formally written to the two companies confirming the final conditions in these licences have been met, meaning that culling can go ahead there later this year,'' he said.

''This demonstrates the commitment of all organisations involved to the successful delivery of the pilots in these two areas.

''At the same time, an area in Dorset will be prepared as a reserve. This is a sensible contingency in the event that, for any reason, one of the existing licensed areas is unable to proceed.''

Comments(19)

Controversial But True says...
12:56pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Sick!!!

Every animal has every right to live!!

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Pablo23 says...
1:19pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Bagders are awesome.

I say keep the badgers and have less cows.
Everyones too scared to eat beef now anyways and I've always preferred goats milk.

I really don't see how badgers spread bovine TB but no other animals do?

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catfan says...
1:22pm Wed 27 Feb 13

This is so wrong. Common sense says vaccinate the animals you want to protect - the cows -killing badgers will not prevent TB (if, in fact they are the so called reason for it). Unless every single badger is killed the whole shooting atrocity will be a waste of life, time and money.Birds, rabbits, etc will all carry disease - are we to kill everything?
Like many of the previous half cut ideas to get rid of 'pests' (giving rabbits myxomatosis - just look at that disaster and its legacy continues ) it will be another government backed idea causing suffering to animals and not succeeding in its aims. We should protest, protest, protest.

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Molecatcher says...
1:36pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Why not... They could sell the culled badgers to Tesco to put into the value burgers. Every little helps, after all...

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H2o-hara says...
1:47pm Wed 27 Feb 13

People carry more diseases than badgers !

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sea poole says...
2:16pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Owen paterson -No experience of environmental issues, but as he's a lackey and boot-licker of Cameron, he'll do. And what if there's tangible strong link between TB and badgers? I guess it's just hard luck on those animals that have been 'culled' or is it 'kulled...killed'?
Bet the thought of that doesn't 'prey' on the Minister's mind when he's snoring in bed...

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MJD says...
2:18pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Glad to see Dorset has seen the Light.

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eyesropen says...
2:24pm Wed 27 Feb 13

All the science says the cull will have no meaningful long term impact on reducing BTb transmission & in fact disrupting badger populations may even cause a spread of it. Seriously, what's the matter with these idiots?!!

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sea poole says...
4:51pm Wed 27 Feb 13

MJD-Pity you haven't...

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Letcommonsenseprevail says...
5:04pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Always a picture of a nice cuddly young badger. Never one of a gnarled, old, TB-spreading one eating voles (protected species) and trashing your garden!!

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Invisible says...
5:25pm Wed 27 Feb 13

**** Tory scum!

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Bournemouth2014 says...
6:16pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Taking the easy option and just killing them! it may hold it off for a while but it wont end the issue. Its wrong and What i really want to write wouldnt get posted...

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awsokend says...
6:53pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Badgers are great much more interesting than cows.
badgers have fun they play hide and seek in the forest also they have a game of footie if there's enough players,
Cows are sad ,they stand under a tree all day long having a conversation with each other.

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Mike Oxbig says...
7:14pm Wed 27 Feb 13

awsokend wrote:
Badgers are great much more interesting than cows.
badgers have fun they play hide and seek in the forest also they have a game of footie if there's enough players,
Cows are sad ,they stand under a tree all day long having a conversation with each other.
Cool. I'll have some of what you're having!!!

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Rabbitman64 says...
7:15pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Badgers are lovely animals and don't deserve this! It is again the useless NFU and the Tory Party that are advocating murder! Perhaps the Coalition Resistance should now move into this area and disrupte the culling in Somerset and Dorset. A new level of Tory Nastiness to add to Crawford's cull of Dorset Enterprises?

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EGHH says...
7:57pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Has any tests been done on road kill badgers to see how far if at all BTB is spread by these animals? Has there been any investigation in farming practices to find out if that causes the spread of BTB?

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Phixer says...
5:41am Thu 28 Feb 13

Invisible wrote:
**** Tory scum!
Another educated response to a matter of importance to many.

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Crank says...
7:56am Thu 28 Feb 13

I wonder if anyone/group is considering direct action? Are the cull areas known? Lots of public opposition, vocal and physical without being illegal, might encourage a backtrack as - hey - votes might be lost. But I suppose the farmland concerned is all private? Just wonder if anyone knows of any plans.

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boudicas mum says...
11:50pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Crank yes there is a group but not sure if i can post a website here. its badger (dash)killers. they are planning to go out in the fields, make noise to send the badgers away and other things. have a look, they are really good.

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