Pembrokeshire against the cull organises a great escape
Despite treacherous icy conditions, nearly twenty costumed and face-painted “badger refugees” made their way to freedom over the River Teifi on Christmas Eve. Led by their mascot Mags, Pembrokeshire Against the Cull (PAC) supporters left the West Wales Wildlife Centre to the strains of the famous “Great Escape” theme. A procession over the A487 bridge into Cardigan was accompanied by hoots of support from many motorists.
The real badgers living at the Teifi Marshes, along with hundreds of others in a large area of North Pembrokeshire, face a cull next spring if the Welsh Assembly does not drop its plans. This is despite the vast majority of badgers being TB-free, and despite the firm expert assessment that culling has no meaningful place in British TB policy. (Please see here)
Celia Thomas, a spokesperson for PAC, stated: “We were heartened to see so much support for the badgers from passing shoppers. This reflects what we are constantly hearing – local people do not accept that this cull has a legitimate basis. There is a clear path forward that could unite local people, both conservationists and farmers: to begin trials of badger TB vaccination as in England and Ireland. Trials in New Zealand prove it works brilliantly to immunise wildlife.
“The science says a cull will not help with bovine TB. There are huge risks of it causing new TB breakdowns in the surrounding countryside. And under WAG’s plans, we won’t even be able to measure the effects of a cull. We need time to assess the results of tighter cattle controls the Assembly is introducing, before rushing headlong into other measures.”
PAC says it will continue to argue for a logical science-based approach to TB policy, as it advocated when meeting the Chief Veterinary Officer earlier in December.
For more information go to the PAC website
Also PAC are organising an event on the steps of the Senedd, Monday 18th January 2010, in the afternoon.
We need your help to alert us of any stories in the Welsh press about the proposed badger cull. The Wildlife Trusts have been heavily involved with all the consultation leading up to the decision by Elin Jones to carry out a badger cull in a pilot area in Pembrokeshire. As farmers ourselves, we have a vested interest in finding an effective solution to the problem of badger TB. We own our own livestock and have the health of our own cattle to consider – along with the interests of other farmers who graze our reserves with their animals. We want this disease eradicated as much as anyone else, and we want quick and effective action. We oppose a cull of badgers because the science does not support it. The Independent Scientific Group (ISG) report on TB in cattle stated that culling badgers would not solve the problem - and that such action could even make things worse.
The Wildlife Trusts believe there should be a programme of vaccination of badgers, more effective testing of cattle, and greater bio security on farms. A combination of these three things is the answer – not culling. If you see any letters or articles in your local papers about the badger cull, please would you email the relevant details to info@welshwildlife.org, so that we can respond appropriately. We will need the name and date of the paper, and the section in which the article appears, with the author’s name if possible. Alternatively, you can send a cutting of the article to the Welsh Wildlife Centre office at Cilgerran, and mark it for the attention of Llinos Richards.