Badger Trust appeal against Welsh Cull

[stripee]

Just heard that the Badger Trust are to appeal against the judicial review decision.

Donations will be needed to help them to do this as they are a small charity. Please give anything if you can do so:

The Badger Trust: Home Page

From press release today:
"The Badger Trust has applied to the High Court for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the rejection of its challenge to the legality of the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) decision to kill badgers as one of its measures intended to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) from Wales."


"The Trust will now ask the Welsh Assembly to go back and conscientiously reconsider the decision to cull in light of these important new facts. In these tough economic times, it seems only fair to the tax payer that an expensive pilot cull which has been shown not to be cost effective should be reconsidered carefully. This is especially so given that the cheaper option of vaccination has now been licensed for use in the UK and the Minister says it is a viable alternative to culling. "



"

[artdemole]

Hooray!Someone is listening at last.Hope they think about The wasted millions with all the cuts parties keep on about.

[GavinWheeler]

Best of luck to them. Maybe this time they will be able to submit the witness statement from Rosie Woodroffe that the last Judge ignored.

You can go straight to the donations page if all you want is to support the Badger Trust - but there is lots of good info on the front page about the last court case.

[Bumblebeebob]

I fear this new government will mean bad news for Badgers everywhere both the Torys & Lib dems are pro culling & the farmers will be pressing them for this.

[stripee]

Residents in Cilgwyn question Welsh Assembly Government right to enter land (From Western Telegraph)

6 police vans plus masked contractors for local residents....England beware.

[paulthomas]

Yes, exterminating badgers has been revealed to be coalition policy. Their only hurdle is going to be land access. I think Parliament will have to vote through the sort of draconian powers that WAG have given themselves otherwise they'll face a lot more direct action. I think that if the punishments weren't so severe a lot more land owners would have blocked access. I can understand why those good hearted farmers who oppose the slaughter of their badgers aren't prepared face heavy fines or imprisonment.

It's now no secret that the company doing the culling is Thompson Ecology. I'd urge everyone here who is a member of a wildlife organisation to write to your organisations committee and ask them to a) boycott Thompson Ecology and b) make it plain and public that they will never employ anyone who currently works for Thompson Ecology.

[Eryri]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

I think Parliament will have to vote through the sort of draconian powers that WAG have given themselves otherwise they'll face a lot more direct action. I think that if the punishments weren't so severe a lot more land owners would have blocked access. I can understand why those good hearted farmers who oppose the slaughter of their badgers aren't prepared face heavy fines or imprisonment.

The sett survey in Wales is now 99% complete.
There have been a total of 3 arrests (one of these was for theft).
All three suspects were released without charge.

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by Eryri

The sett survey in Wales is now 99% complete.
There have been a total of 3 arrests (one of these was for theft).
All three suspects were released without charge.

Indeed. The "theft" arrest was the most pathetic. The person arrested took one of the masked men's "ID cards" to phone the number printed on it which is what the cards says you're supposed to do. It shows that the local police have no interest upholding the law but are more interested in supporting WAGs political agenda, which clearly doesn't stretch to concepts such as human rights. Land owners will now face the prospect of armed, masked men turning up unannounced and will have to let them in for fear of arrest if they refuse. I expect the criminal fraternity will have a field day exploiting this.

[Eryri]

Sadly, policing and justice is not devolved to the Welsh Assembly, so no such 'political direction' exists. To suggest that Dyfed-Powys police have no interest in upholding the law is a rather tenuous accusation.

[stripee]

Originally Posted by Eryri

Sadly, policing and justice is not devolved to the Welsh Assembly, so no such 'political direction' exists. To suggest that Dyfed-Powys police have no interest in upholding the law is a rather tenuous accusation.

Dyfed-Powys police signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Welsh Assembly, to share information, and have been "intelligence" gathering for the last couple of years. The heavy handedness is meant to deter others from objecting. As Paul says, one of the accused went to the phone to check the identity of one of the contractors and was arrested for theft!

Viva have a pledge/petition to boycott Welsh dairy products:
Viva! - Vegetarians International Voice for Animals