Badger Cull Will lead to Murder of a Third of England’s Badgers

The UK government is set to pass the first full scale cull of badgers in England. The cull will lead to the murder of 100,000 animals–one third of England’s badger population. The cull is intended to protect cattle from bovine tuberculosis. the first of two licenses is set to be issued Monday.

The cull will be given the go-ahead even though a decade long scientific trial of badger culling proved that the killings would not make any meaningful contribution and was not an effective was of controlling the disease.

As of yet, no badgers have been killed, but it is likely that the culling will begin within the next couple of days.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh has stated that the cull will cost more lives than it will save and will “Spread bovine TB in the short term as badgers are disturbed by the shooting.”

More disturbing is the fact that the government has refused to release numerous documents, including  communication with the National Farmers Union  and advice from the government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir John Beddington. The government is aiming to pass the licensing as quickly and silently as possible. “We are working flat out with licence applicants on processing their applications,” said licensing body Natural England.  ”We will issue licences to enable control activity to commence in the pilot areas as soon as is possible.”