A Vet Speaks out about DEfRA and the Badger Cull
The Editor,Farmers Weekly,
Dear Sir,
When Ben Bradshaw announced before Christmas that there was to be a cull of infected badgers, one would have hoped that being in the 'Season of Goodwill', he would have been genuine?
Later he announced a 'Consultation Exercise' to determine if, when and how the badgers were to be culled. It is all a cynical, contemptible charade to soften up you farmers, to justify the new stringent valuation table for reactors and the costly pre-movement testing being imposed this Feb. All to appease the badger lobby, who are prepared to allow the badgers to suffer.
They ignore the fact that a cull of infected badgers would not only result in a healthier cattle population but a healthier badger population too.
There will be will be NO 'official' cull of badgers in the foreseeable future.
The Berne Convention signed up by Britain 1982 and amended 2002 clearly states how a protected species cannot be culled. Unless it is a whale when explosives may be used, the only option is shooting during daylight; hardly a very efficient method of culling the nocturnal badger?
Should there be a derogation- a process which would take months or even years, then the badger lobby will prolong the inevitable, by seeking a Judicial Review -another even longer process.
The proposed pre-movement testing at your expense (£6? per beast) of all cattle over 15months, (unless going to slaughter) from Parishes with 1 or 2 year testing regimes, does not include those of you on a temporary reprieve from 60 day testing and now on a 6 month regime and desperate to depopulate!
Surely it cannot be an accidental oversight or even that this group will be exempt? It can only mean that your movement restrictions will not be lifted.
Could this act of crass stupidity be the 'Final Straw that Breaks the Camels back'?
Defra has powers in the event of a farmer refusing to allow a test. They will supply their own 'man power' (and equipment?) and do the test themselves, deducting the expense at source from your 'grants'.
With Defra's very limited resources, surely it would not take too many of you not to cooperate and grind all testing to a halt?
However "Trying to mobilise farmers is like trying to herd cats"! ( a borrowed quote).
Yours Faithfully
D.J.B.Denny