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| Carrying out the badger vaccination programme in Cheshire. Photo: Tom Marshall |
Cheshire Wildlife Trust were deeply worried to learn last
month that an expression of interest in a badger culling licence was submitted
to Natural England for the first time in Cheshire.
In light of this news, the Trust has made representations to
Natural England about the impact of a cull, reiterating their opposition to
culling and advocating badger vaccination as one of a range of measures to
tackle the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB).
Charlotte Harris, Chief Executive at Cheshire Wildlife
Trust, said: "Cheshire Wildlife Trusts is opposed to the culling of
badgers and we're extremely concerned to learn an application for Cheshire has
been submitted to Natural England for the first time.
"The culls to-date have been found to be repeatedly
flawed in their methodology, measures and objectives – they missed their
targets, were expensive and their impact on the TB problem, if any, is
uncertain.
"We believe that controlling the spread of the
devastating disease Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle requires implementation
of a package of measures and we advocate alternatives to badger culling – we're
one of a number of local organisations, including Wirral and Cheshire Badger
Group and Chester Zoo, that have been carrying out a badger vaccination
programmes in Cheshire.
"We are sympathetic to the farmers whose cattle are
affected by this devastating disease, but we urge the Government to consider
the scientific evidence which indicates that the cull will not significantly
reduce Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle."
You can add your name to The Wildlife Trusts' e-petition against the cull:
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