The Murder of Humbugs

A challenge to culls that will kill thousands of badgers has failed at the court of appeal. The Badger Trust had attacked Mr Justice Ouseley’s decision in July to uphold government proposals for two pilot culls aimed at tackling tuberculosis in cattle, one in west Gloucestershire and the other in west Somerset.

The trust says that killing badgers will make no meaningful contribution to tackling the disease, which has been described as the most pressing animal health problem in the UK. It claims that the scheme could lead to 40,000 animals being “pointlessly killed” over the next four years. But Lord Justice Laws, Lord Justice Rimer and Lord Justice Sullivan unanimously rejected the appeal, which was only concerned with statutory construction.

After the July ruling, which was welcomed by the National Farmers Union, the British Veterinary Association and the British Cattle Veterinary Association, a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “No one wants to cull badgers but last year bovine TB led to the slaughter of over 26,000 cattle, and to help eradicate the disease it needs to be tackled in badgers.”

The cost of the cattle losses was estimated at £91m.

If what Defra calls “controlled shooting” of badgers is to take place this year, the six-week cull must begin soon, before the badger breeding season begins. Culling is not permitted when there is a risk that badgers feeding their young might be killed, leaving their cubs underground without food. In England, two companies have been set up by farmers to manage the cull, using trained marksmen to shoot badgers at night on farm land in two pilot areas each the size of the Isle of Wight.

Natural England, the government agency in charge of issuing the licenses, says holders must liaise closely with the local police, including on dates, times and areas where badger control will take place. A spokesperson from Natural England said there was no definitive time scale for issuing the licenses but “we would hope to issue them shortly”. The exact scope of the pilot areas is not being revealed to the public for fear of reprisals against individuals or their property.

The proposed killing of wild badgers is a sensitive issue. A small proportion of wild badgers can become infected with the bacteria that cause bovine TB, and pass the infection on to cattle. However, scientific studies have shown that culling would be of little help in reducing the disease and even suggest that it could make things worse in some areas.

Plans to begin culling in Wales were recently abandoned in favour of a vaccination policy. There are no proposals to cull badgers in Scotland.

Face it, how did the Humbugs get infected in the first place? because of cows, how did the cows get infected? Very poor management of the Herd and not being Vaccinated by those who are whining now about losing cows, so Morons let cows get infected, who infect Badgers, maybe, who possibly re-infect the cows, so wiping out Badgers will sort out the problem. Get rid of the terminally stupid farmers, Vaccinate the herd, no more problem.

I am sorry but this is just NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Very poor standards on farms have possibly affected a small number of Humbugs, with the Bovine TB virus, so all of the HooRay Henrys on their Farms and Estates and in the Government and in the Courts can go on the hunt for and murder healthy Badgers because the stupid Bar Stewards can not keep their herds clean and vaccinated. I am sick to the stomach about this. All those involved, Damn you all.

And because this is not as important as, say Football (soccer to the US) or Gaga’s latest Hairdo, or 100 other mindlessly pathetic things, there is no sign of this on Yahoo news. Why?

With tears in my eyes and down upon my knees
I call one softly with a heartfelt plea
Flidais
Flidais
Flidais
Hear my call, hear my plea
They call it justice, the murder of innocents
I call you, my Lady of Wild Places
And I ask one word, a small word
Help
Give Justice to All those who are involved in this depravity.
This Murder of Innocents
Those who caused it
Those who Enforced it
Those who control it
Those who act it
This Murder of Innocents
Justice upon them all