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Andy Canning
Dorchester and West Dorset Learn more
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Exit from Brexit
Stopping Cuts to SEND Transport
Dorchester Retail Master Plan
Is Badger Cull Reasonable?
by Andy Canning on 18 July, 2013
Is it a proportionate response to kill 70% of badgers to tackle a disease that kills only 0.3% of cattle? That’s the question I asked in a debate at County Hall today on whether the Council should write to the Government to oppose any badger cull in Dorset. The other question that I felt needed answering is whether the cull would work? Independent scientific evidence from previous culls indicates that bovine TB was only reduced by 23% after a cull and that in neighbouring areas the incidence of TB actually increased by 29% as infected badgers moved out of the culling area! Also when the scientists re-examined the area of culling a few years later the incidence of TB had only declined by 12-16%. So not only are a large number of badgers being killed but even under well managed circumstances the incidence of bovine TB only declined marginally!
2 Comments
Thank you for standing up for Badgers.
Dear Andy
I’m sure you know that Dorset for Badger and Bovine Welfare are campaigning against this cull. The culls in Somerset and Glocs were supposed to be trialling the effectiveness, humaneness and safety aspects of shooting free running badgers. They have met none of these criteria.Our group have first hand experience of patrolling in the Somerset cull zone. The area is like a war zone at night, the police are everywhere blocking roads and searching cars. There are vehicles speeding around the country lanes all through the night. Patrollers are being intimidated and harassed, there have been several incidents of assault and a dog has been knifed. Patrollers are often in close proximity to shooting. Martin Surl the PCC in Glocs is strongly against the cull because of its detrimental effect on community cohesion. The cost to the public of each badger is now estimated at £3,000. This would be a disaster if it was rolled out to Dorset.
We have now set up the Dorset Badger Vaccination Project and will shortly have a press release. We will be fund raising and offering vaccination to landowners for a small fee. Is it possible that Dorset CC will look at this issue again with a view to vaccination instead of culling?