Understanding the Badger Cull in Britain: Key Issues and Impacts

Tuesday, 9th September 2014

There’s nothing black and white about the Badger cull - apart from the iconic (worm hoovering) snout of a Badger that is - but do we want to be known as Badger cull Britain?

As the cull gets under way in Somerset and Gloucestershire, Elizabeth Truss (The Environment Secretary) has announced that the government is “pursuing a comprehensive strategy supported by leading vets, which includes cattle movement controls, vaccinating badgers in edge areas and culling badgers where disease is rife.”

I hate the idea of the cull, but I appreciate that doing nothing isn’t an option.

If we expect to see beef and dairy products on supermarket shelves in the future, farmers have to protect their industry today. Last year more than 26,000 cattle were (apparently) slaughtered in England to tackle TB in livestock. The livestock losses must have reached multimillion pound levels. I get a little tetchy, though, when cattle loss is extrapolated into market loss; just because beef and dairy contribute economically, who can say their life is more valuable than a badger’s?

One wildlife charity that’s more involved in this debate than any other is The Wildlife Trust as they’re not only taking action to #StopTheCull (in Twitter parlance) the charities iconic logo includes the black and white outline of the Badger.

Are they opposed to the cull?

They are and they’re taking action to #StopTheCull. You can find out what they’re doing and read more about their e-petition to David Cameron online at http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/badgers

Written by Simon H. King