Don't cull badgers, says Euro MP (From Bucks Free Press)

It's about culling badgers, not wiping them out.

Bovine TB is a major killer of UK cattle, and putting this cull off is putting the livelihoods of scores of UK dairy farmers at risk.

What happens to milk production when Bovine TB gets a real grip on UK cattle? Prices go up, and farmers go out of business, then milk production goes down and suddenly consumption outstrips supply.

At least give the cull a chance to prove its value, as that will then give the badger population a chance to bounce back, free of the disease.

I'm a deer stalker, and we only cull deer to keep the population in check. By culling the obviously weaker animals it keeps a much stronger bloodline for future generations.

Do not believe all that you read by celebs such as Brian May, as they do not even try to give a balance argument, refusing to listen to fact, just relying on a "Disney" view of wildlife... Ever seen what a badger or fox can do within the confines of a chicken coop? No? Knock on a farmers door and he'll give you the real world view.

However, this is NOT about wiping out badgers, it's about culling the population to ensure the longevity of the population and is the responsible thing to do for the future of UK wildlife.

All about money! I wonder what value Flashheart puts on his life!
There's no point mindlessly killing animals when facts show that this will make matters worse. Previous culls have seen disease levels rise from 1% to as much as 14% in cull areas.

Why not vaccinate? This can only improve the situation, it can't make it worse - unlike culling. Farmers need to do their bit to cut down the spread of bTB too by looking at farming methods and food storage. Allowing them to vaccinate their cows would also help them to protect their animals from this disease.

Scientists recently proclaimed animal and human consciousness as the same - this brings into question what rights we really should have over animals and the rights that they should have. They think, feel, fear and have families just as we do.

As for badgers killing chickens; if they kill chickens who aren't in a secure enough coop it's because they're hungry! Not in the name of fun and sport, or because they have passed judgement over the chickens and decided they should die - only humans do that.

The facts must be considered, and they all show culling is not the answer. People against the cull don't want cows to continue to suffer from bTB, we just want to see a humane solution that works to be implemented.

We have a responsibility to care for, and speak up for wild animals. If this cull goes ahead there will be a lot of people out there ready to stop it, peacefully. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though.

We don't cull foreigners who come over here riddled with TB and then sponge off the NHS so why cull bangers ?

I have given up cows milk and beef because I am so digusted with the farmers who want to carry out this barbaric cull.
I am also boycotting all supermarkets apart from Co op as they are the only ones who said they would not support the culling of badgers on their farms.
This cull is wrong on every level and I will back any means necessary to stop or disrupt it if necessary.

This madness Will be stopped! Contact your local Hunt sabs and together we will stop it!

wolfiesab wrote:
This madness Will be stopped! Contact your local Hunt sabs and together we will stop it!

So ONE report from five years ago suggests that a culling might in fact have the reverse effect. What a load of nonsense. Like this decision has just been taken over a few beers without any research or discussion with the relevant people in the field. It's just a TRIAL, and if proven to be ineffective then I would imagine other methods may well be given consideration. The kind of people who vehemently oppose this are the kind of depressed underachievers who sabotage hunts so "passionately". There are SO many more important things to worry about in this life than whether or not a few badgers in western England get shot in the face. Fingers crossed this trial begins asap so we can all continue to enjoy TB free steaks. I'll have mine medium rare.

Some strange irrational and poorly spelt outbursts here I notice.
Anyway, surely we don't want to support the barbaric shooting or gassing of badgers...
What sort of "civilised" people are we? They disgust and worry me that there are people still supporting this sort of bloodletting.
"The Surgeon" here is a frantic sounding example of what's wrong with some people in our community.
Of course there are other, even more awful, things to worry about but let's not let go of fair compassionate reasoning.

Scarletto wrote:
Some strange irrational and poorly spelt outbursts here I notice.
Anyway, surely we don't want to support the barbaric shooting or gassing of badgers...
What sort of "civilised" people are we? They disgust and worry me that there are people still supporting this sort of bloodletting.
"The Surgeon" here is a frantic sounding example of what's wrong with some people in our community.
Of course there are other, even more awful, things to worry about but let's not let go of fair compassionate reasoning.

Some comically pompous retorts here I notice.

Try to think rationally for a moment, and stop trying to paint this for something it is not. Using ludicrous terms such "barbaric" and even more laughable - "bloodletting" - is quite simply emotional claptrap. This isn't some sinister bloodsport driven by a team of bloodthirsty scientists, traipsing through the forest trying to feed their **** for killing badgers. It's designed for one reason only - as a trial to stop the spread of a disease that is SINGLE biggest challenge facing cattle farmers at present, particularly in the west and south west of England (hence the trial taking place in that part of the country). Culls of numerous different animals happen throughout the year without a hint of protest, unless some prize plonker like Brian May sticks his oar in. I'm sure multi-millionaire Brian May really understand the crisis British farmers are going through, and no doubt can empathise with the fear they must feel at the prospect of losing their livelihoods and being unable to feed their familes. Badgers don't have a "unique place" in my consciousness (which insinuates that they should somehow be considered more important than other animals), they are just rarely seen, fairly insignificant disease carriers. It's TOTALLY civilised to try and protect other human beings, and their ability to not only support themselves, but to also feed the population. If a few badgers get gassed in the west of England then so be it. If that's "barbaric", then pass me the rifle and let the barbarism begin.

That you consider it more important to protect a few badgers than to support other human beings trying to make an honest living is a much clearer example of what is wrong with "our community". I can only be grateful that pompous twits like your good yourself are not in any position to make such important decisions.

Support British farmers and support British industry - shoot a badger today. Or hit them with spades. Repeatedly.