Badger Trust launch legal proceedings
The Badger Trust has informed the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that it will pursue a legal challenge if DEFRA does not retract the decision to sanction two pilot culls of badger this autumn in an effort to reduce the transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB). DEFRA has until February 17th 2012 to respond.
David Williams, Chairman of the Badger Trust, has claimed that DEFRA have not addressed concerns that the cull could contribute towards the spread of disease. He also stated that the Trust believes such a cull to be unlawful. “If there is an opportunity to save many thousands of healthy badgers, as there is here, we must take it on behalf of the many local badger groups and supporters on whose behalf the Badger Trust works. If successful it would also save farmers the expense of a policy which would not benefit them.” he said. Mr Williams also confirmed that Badger Trust officials have personally met Ministers and have held 'several discussions'.
The Badger Trust's decision to launch legal proceedings was not an unexpected one. Farming Minister Jim Paice MP has consistently stated his belief that the Government fully expected a legal challenge to the policy of culling badgers and prepared legislation accordingly.
Mr Paice announced in January that two areas in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset had been designated as potential pilot cull areas. Groups of farmers in these areas can apply to Natural England for licences to cull badgers over areas of approximately 300 square kilometres. It is DEFRA's intention that the pilot programs will be monitored to determine the effectiveness, safety and humaneness of controlled shooting by trained marksmen.
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