[IMC-UK-Features] proposal

Fri Jul 4 15:28:56 PDT 2008

***For Monday night; once the news has been confirmed and source included***

topics; Animal Liberation, Ecology, Health & UK
title: Badgers spared from cull in England, Wales next?

picture(s):
1) http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/07/402644.jpg
'ALF target farming union offices over badger cull'2) http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/07/402645.jpg
3) http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/badgers/rally2small.jpg
'Vivia National Rally for Badgers'

ABSTRACT:

The Secretary of State for <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk">DEFRA</a>, Hilary Benn, announced today that he has decided against a cull ***SOURCE*** of badgers in England to control TB in cattle. The decision came after protest actions last month with a <a href="http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/badgers/rally.htm">rally attended by over 300 supporters</a> and the <a href="http://en/2008/06/401046.html">sabotaging of five offices</a> owned by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) in South Wales. Mr Benn also has resounding public support for sparing badgers. A DEFRA public consultation on the issue received submissions from 47,000 respondents, <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/abouttb/badgers.htm#public">ninety-five per cent</a> of whom opposed a cull.
Benn has come under unrelenting pressure from the farming industry to give permission for the destruction of around 170,000 badgers - half the population. The government-appointed Independent Scientific Group announced in June 2007 - <a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/isg/">following a decade of research</a> - that killing badgers would not significantly reduce bovine TB and could make matters worse. It also declared that TB probably first spreads from cattle to badgers, where it remains stable, provided the badgers are undisturbed. Research has demonstrated that culling causes massive disturbance and has the effect of increasing the incidence and spread of the disease.
In light of the decision, it is expected that Elin Jones, Rural Affairs Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government, will rule out a badger cull in Wales. In April, Ms Jones announced a 'comprehensive package of measures' to control TB in cattle, an element of which would be badger killing. Last month, lawyers acting for the Minister announced that she has not made a decision to cull badgers in Wales.
Newswire: <a href="http://en/2008/07/402643.html">Badgers spared - Thank you ALF!</a> | <a href="http://en/2008/06/402141.html">Anti-Badger Cull Demo Action Report</a> | <a href="http://en/2008/06/401046.html">ALF target farming union offices over badger cull</a> | <a href="http://en/2008/06/400088.html">Rally For Badgers - Stop The Cull!</a>
Links: <a href="http://www.viva.org.uk">Viva</a> | <a href="http://www.animalliberationfront.com">Animal Liberation Front (ALF)</a> | <a href="http://www.animalaid.org.uk">Animal Aid</a>

CONTENT:

Some 30,000 badgers have been destroyed since 1975, in a failed attempt to curb the disease. And despite virtually exterminating badgers from four counties in Ireland, a huge TB problem remains in each of those areas. (1)The farming industry has long resisted the idea that its own intensive rearing, breeding and transport practices are at the heart of the bovine TB problem. In fact, exhaustive research demonstrates that cattle movements 'substantially and consistently outweigh' all other factors in spreading bovine TB. (2) The disease has appeared in areas that have been TB-free for ten years, sometimes longer, despite the fact that badgers were present throughout the period. The key new factor was the unregulated countrywide movements of cattle who - because of the BSE and then the foot and mouth crises - were not tested for TB infectivity before being transported. (1)

(1) 'Bovine TB and the government's proposed slaughter of badgers: TIME FOR THE CATTLE INDUSTRY TO CLEAN UP ITS ACT', Animal Aid, 1 February 2006 (http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_factory/ALL/1247)
(2) This is according to a paper published in Nature on May 26, 2005, by Dr William Wint and colleagues at Oxford University's Environmental Research Group (http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70074)

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p.s- could somebody please message me and tell me how to put the text on the wiki page, again, thanks. also, is the shac action topic coming online soon? Will try and get to a meeting soon to help out more, let me know if i can help in anyway with it until then.
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