Badger Legalities, Ethics and the Environment Set to Clash

(Posted on 29/09/12)

It's a difficult quandary and one that very definitive lines drawn in the proverbial sand: to cull or not to cull the overwhelming population of badgers in England. There are no easy answers and this is definitely one of those situations where the the winners are not going to feel exactly victorious. There's a lot at stake and even solicitors are on different sides of the aisles.

Badger cull licenses are now being issued in England and the goal is to curb and ideally eliminate TB in cattle herds. The licenses cover a three hundred kilometer area in Gloucestershire after more than 25,000 were slaughtered last year due to fears or contamination of TB.

There is no vaccine or cure for the disease, bovine tuberculosis. Up until recently, it was believed a vaccine was close to being developed; now, though, scientists are saying it's not going to be available by 2015 as initially believed.

The fact is, no one wants to target the badgers, but those who support it say it's the only way to ensure a more level - and healthy - population of both the badgers and the cattle. Those who are opposed say these types of culls are ineffective.

The plan, it seems, is simple: Those who are licensed by Natural England allows farmers and others to cull for a specific six week period every year. The licenses are good for four years and in order to be effective, a whopping 70% of the badgers will have to be killed.

So why are so many vehement about bringing the population down? For years, many believed humans were immune from many of the problems that are part of the cattle population. The dairy industry is truly devastated; farmers are losing profits and their cattle and up until the courts allowed the licenses to be issued, there options were significantly reduced.

Now, the dangers are growing as clashes between protesters and farmers (why, by the way are now legally armed) heating up. Those in law enforcement and the legal field say public safety is now at stake.

Detective chief superintendent Adrian Tudway, national co-ordinator for domestic extremism at the Association of Chief Police Officers, told Defra officials: "Farmers and landowners culling badgers with firearms (of any description) has potential to place armed farm workers in the near vicinity of protesters and activists, typically during the night-time; we regard this as a scenario with clear potential for harm to public safety … "

Those who are opposed to the cull and who have signed a government petition number close to 100.000.

Once again, the courts are involved as a website that vehemently opposes the cull are publishing public addresses of several higher ups, including ministers, solicitors and others. The group says the cull is unlawful and cites the Bern convention as its proof. The group's fears include annihilation of the entire badger populations.