A badger being vaccinated for TB by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (credit: Gordon McGlone)
nature matters
Email your MP to say that you value nature and badgers and that you want the cull halted.
• Stop the cull - We strongly oppose the proposed “pilot” badger culls and any proposals for rolling out culls beyond this year.
• Prioritise badger vaccination and the development of a cattle vaccine - We have considered the evidence and issues related to the role of badgers in transmitting bTB over many years and a number of Wildlife Trusts are now implementing badger vaccination programmes at their own expense. We believe Defra should divert the estimated £6m costs of licensing, monitoring and policing the pilot culls into a major programme of badger vaccination.
• Don't divide farming communities and conservationists - A cull risks dividing the conservation and farming communities who need to work together for the benefit of our natural environment. The Wildlife Trusts manage around 94,000 hectares of land ourselves including 20 working farms and we work together with farmers on conservation projects across the UK. You can see some examples of our farmland conservation work here.
Extracts from communication sent to all English MPs ahead of Opposition Day debate 05 June 2013