The lives of all the thousands of badgers slaughtered in the name of TB eradication have been lost in vain, writes Martin Hancox. The cryptic reservoir of bovine TB is the cattle themselves, and no amount of badger killing will make the slightest difference to the problem. Once we have grasped this reality the solution is astonishingly simple: improved TB testing that picks up all infected cattle.
… Alas poor Brock! The insanity of the badger cull Martin Hancox | 27th May 2016 Comment Badgers Science Natural World Farming UK Health badger-cut.jpg The lives of all the thousands …
Al available science indicates that badgers have little if anything to do with bovine TB in cattle, writes Lesley Docksey. This is reflected in Wales's consultation on its 'refreshed TB Eradication Programme'. We must hope that Northern Ireland's bTB Eradication Strategy will be equally science based - and ready to campaign hard if it relies on cruel, ineffective and expensive badger culls.
… Badger cull free TB eradication in Wales and … it! Lesley Docksey | 6th December 2016 News Badgers Science Health UK Northern Ireland … Al available science indicates that badgers have little if anything to do with …
Badgers are having a rough time in England, writes Lesley Docksey. But it's no better in most other European countries, where they enjoy no specific protection and digging, baiting and shooting are widespread. Hence the new Eurobadger coalition formed to campaign for them Europe-wide. The one shining example is Holland - TB-free since 1999 without killing a single badger!
… The Eurobadger coalition - fighting for badgers Europe-wide Lesley Docksey | 10th June 2016 Activism Badgers UK England France Germany Netherlands …
With today's news that badger culling will continue in Gloucester, Somerset and Dorset, and take place in three other counties, writes LESLEY DOCKSEY, there could be no more opportune moment for Dominic Dyer's new book 'Badgered to Death' to appear - expertly exposing the total absence of scientific evidence that badgers transmit bovine TB to cattle.
… Why are our badgers ‘Badgered to Death'? Lesley Docksey | 23rd August 2016 Reviews Badgers Natural World Science Farming Politics …
Thirty years ago, there was no evidence that badgers spread bovine TB among cattle, writes Lesley Docksey. Nor is there now. Yet badgers are still being slaughtered in a futile attempt to control the disease. This timely republication of Richard Meyer's 1986 book reveals the belligerent ignorance of the officials, politicians and farmers driving the failed policy.
… 'The Fate of the Badger': the great badger scapegoating conspiracy Lesley Docksey | 11th October 2016 Reviews Badgers Books Science UK Farming …
The government / NFU badger culling policy is based on a single study, the Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCT), which found that area-wide badger killing reduced TB 'breakdowns' in cattle herds. But a robust reanalysis of the RBCT data reveals that culling is entirely ineffective, writes Tom Langton. The only scientifically valid conclusion is that culling badgers has no effect on TB in cattle. Defra and Natural England must think again!
… - fake science set to kill 100,000 English badgers Tom Langton | 13th April 2017 News Badgers Science Health Farming Politics UK England badger-rifle-tl-cut.jpg The government / NFU …
To live sustainably we must learn to live with wildlife, Patrick Barkham argues in his book Badgerlands. To do this we have much to learn from our ancestors - but we must also discard their barbaric practices and outrageous myths that, even today, some are so keen to perpetuate.
… The beguiling magic of badgers at dusk Lesley Docksey | 25th July 2014 Reviews Natural World Badgers UK badgerlands-cut.jpg To live sustainably we …
We know the outcome of Defra's latest 'public consultation' on killing badgers long before the results have even been analysed, writes Lesley Docksey. Environment secretary Andrea Leadsom has already promised farmers to extend the cull 'even further' - although it brings no proven benefits. Welcome to the new world of 'alternative facts' that's driving UK government policy.
… and the 'fiction' into science: England's badger cull Lesley Docksey | 27th February 2017 News Badgers UK England Politics Health Science Natural World Farming badger-cut.jpg We know the outcome of Defra's …
Milk farmers in the badger cull zones hardly depend on Caffè Nero's custom, writes Dominic Dyer. So why are the pro-cull lobby so hot under the collar with the coffee chain's refusal to buy their produce? Because it could force the entire food chain to take responsibility for how milk is produced - and a very good thing too!
… Where Caffè Nero leads on badger-free milk, others will follow Dominic Dyer | 13th June 2015 Comment Badgers Food Farming Consumerism UK badger-milk-cut.jpg Milk farmers in the badger …
A scientific paper published today says badger persecution may be one of the reasons for the persistence of bovine TB hotspots, writes Oliver Tickell. A further finding is that the main risk factors for bTB are all to do with cattle - not badgers at all.
… Do not disturb! Persecuting badgers may perpetuate TB hotspots Oliver … August 2015 News Farming UK Ireland Science Badgers badger-sett-cut.jpg A scientific paper …
New scientific research shows that culling badgers can increase local hedgehog numbers. As UK hedgehog populations continue to decline, Hugh Warwick asks - are badgers to blame? Or does the real problem lie elsewhere?
Following new research showing that even culling a single badger from a family can cause a 'perturbation' that spreads TB, a new call has gone out on farmers to give up on culling, and 'go badger friendly' to control the disease.
… HSI calls on farmers - 'go badger-friendly' to control bovine TB Lesley Docksey | 10th June 2014 News Badgers UK Natural World Health Farming badger-family-cut.jpg Following new research …
English Nature's decision to licence England's badger cull has no scientific basis, write Iain McGill and 26 other distinguished vets in this Open Letter to EN's Chief Scientist. Science Advisory Committee and Board. The body must urgently re-examine the entire issue before issuing any more licences to kill badgers.
… English Nature - no more badger cull licences! Iain McGill Veterinary … colleagues | 21st August 2015 Comment Badgers Science Health UK Politics Regulation badger-at-dusk-cut.jpg English Nature's …
Following last winter's severe flooding in SW England, the Government has refused to assess how badly badgers suffered - even though local populations could have crashed. If the cull goes ahead, badgers could be wiped out of some areas altogether.
… Cull could put flood-struck badgers 'at risk of local extinction' The Ecologist | 2nd June 2014 News UK Badgers Natural World Health Water Flooding badger-floods-cut.jpg Following last winter's …
Wales has achieved enviable success in reducing bovine TB in its cattle herds without killing badgers, writes Lesley Docksey. The farming lobby is still demanding an England-style cull, but the Welsh government's 'refreshed' policy on bTB remains firmly science-based and no badgers will be killed without 'objective evidence' of infection.
… demands 'objective evidence' before killing badgers. Whatever next? Lesley Docksey | 21st October 2016 Comment Badgers Health Wales UK Farming Science welsh-badgers-cut.jpg Wales has achieved enviable …
Owen Paterson's bold plans for a national badger cull rollout are now in tatters, writes Dominic Dyer, as he stands condemned by both sides in the debate. Wales shows the real way forward, with biosecurity, cattle movement control, TB testing and vaccination.
… Paterson's plans for a national badger cull bite the dust Dominic Dyer | 4th April 2014 Comment Natural World Badgers UK Politics Farming badger-daisies.png Owen Paterson's bold plans …
England is about to extend its badger cull policy to five new areas of the country, proving that only that science is a dead letter to May's conservative government as it was to Cameron's. While bovine TB infections in cattle rise in the existing cull areas, Wales has just achieved a cull-free 14% reduction.
… England's £100m badger cull extensions condemned The Ecologist | 23rd August 2016 News Badgers Natural World Science Politics Health Food Farming England Wales UK badger-cut.jpg England is about to extend its …
Paterson's speech to Parliament on the continuation of the badger cull was not so much a masterpiece of deception, writes Lesley Docksey, as a crude botch-up of errors, wrong statistics and a failure to understand the very real problem of TB in cattle.
… Lies, damn lies, and Owen Paterson's badger cull Lesley Docksey | 10th April 2014 Comment Badgers Natural World UK Politics badger-cull-protest.png Paterson's speech to …
With 29 applications for new badger culls, writes Lesley Docksey, the government still has no idea how many badgers there are in the cull areas, or how many of them have TB. Nor does it want to find out. The badger culling project is getting less scientific by the day - or should that be by the square kilometre?
… Shoot first, ask no questions later: more badger culling, less science Lesley Docksey | 23rd February 2016 Comment Badgers Health Politics Science UK Regulation Hunting badger-cut.jpg With 29 applications for new …
As they argue for an extended and intensified badger cull, some farmers have been making extravagant and improbable claims about giant badgers frolicking with their cattle in the sunshine, write Jay Tiernan & Lesley Docksey. But despite holding office in the NFU, they display astonishing negligence by failing to adopt the most elementary bio-security measures advised by Defra to keep their cattle TB free.
… The NFU's dishonesty over badger culling Jay Tiernan Lesley Docksey | 22nd August 2015 Activism Badgers Farming Health UK cattle-cut.jpg As they argue for an extended and intensified badger cull, some farmers have been making …
Sneaked out shortly before MP's Christmas recess, the Government's decision to 'carry on culling' badgers with no evidence that the slaughter is reducing the incidence of bovine TB is a travesty of process, writes Lesley Docksey. But it does have one useful outcome - it has exposed Defra's claims that the cull is 'science-led' as arrant nonsense. Science never even got a look in.
… Truss's decision: badger culling will continue, with no evidence … Lesley Docksey | 5th January 2015 Activism Badgers Mammals Hunting Farming Health UK Natural World badger-road-cut.jpg Sneaked out shortly before …
Sneaked out just before Christmas, Defra's assessment of the 2014 badger cull inspired NFU leaders to claim 'success', writes Rosie Woodroffe. But the figures indicate the precise reverse: that too few badgers were killed to be effective against bovine TB, indeed the cull may even help to spread the disease.
… Fail - 2014 badger cull didn't kill enough badgers to be effective Rosie Woodroffe | 20th January 2015 Comment Badgers Natural World Farming UK Science …