The following press-release was issued by The Badger Trust today. It is a sad indictment not only of the judicial process but also of the common-sense of an elected assembly.
Despite clear evidence as to the lack of effectiveness of such a cull in reducing the spread of bovine TB, the motion to cull plods ponderously on towards its inevitable and devastating conclusion.
Can it still be stopped?
Perhaps. But only with concerted action. We have seen the effectiveness of social media in campaigning and changing events. So I urge you to email, tweet, facebook and myspace your feelings about this dreadful act. Whilst parliament sleeps, your local councils, the Welsh Assembly, your MP and prospective MP will able be contactable. www.theyworkforyou.com.
Doubts linger over wisdom of Welsh badger cull despite rejection of judicial review.
This morning, the High Court, sitting in Cardiff, handed down judgment in the Badger Trust’s judicial review challenge to the Welsh Assembly Ministers’ decision to press ahead with a mass badger cull in May 2010.
Mr Justice Lloyd Jones finally concluded that the Welsh Ministers do have the discretionary power to carry out a cull under the Tuberculosis Eradication (Wales) Order 2009.
However, he noted that it was for the Ministers, rather than the court, to undertake a balancing exercise between the costs and benefits of the proposed cull.
Campaigners have urged the Minister for Rural Affairs to revisit the decision with a fresh eye in the light of the court’s judgement.
The court emphasised the importance of the challenge and said that the Badger Trust clearly had a legitimate public interest in bringing the case.
Gwendolen Morgan of London law firm Bindmans LLP represents the Trust. She said today:
“Whilst the Badger Trust is disappointed with the outcome, it welcomes the close scrutiny to which the court subjected the Minister’s reasoning. Serious issues have come to light in the course of these proceedings which now need to be grappled with at a political level.”
In her statement to the Assembly on 13 January, the Minister confidently announced that the proposed cull would yield a 9% overall reduction in cattle TB two years after the last cull took place.
However, what emerged in evidence painted quite a different picture.
In fact, the Minister conceded that: Bovine TB will increase dramatically on lands adjoining culled land; The best case scenario of a 9% ‘overall reduction’ in bovine TB in reality only amounts to a 6% decline in the rate of increase over all cattle herd breakdowns; Any benefits observed in the first year’s post-culling will dissipate as badger numbers increase; The longer term prognosis (that is, 30 months post-cull), is that there is in fact no ongoing benefit from culling.
This gloomy long-term prognosis for culling was based on peer-reviewed evidence, which came to light at a meeting held before the Minister made the Order to cull. It appeared to play no part in her decision making.
In light of these points clarified in the judgment, the Badger Trust hopes that the Assembly Government will now conscientiously reconsider the matter with the benefit of all the relevant information.
The Trust also welcomes the court’s emphasis on the benefits of vaccination in combination with strict cattle controls.
In the hearing, the Minister confirmed that the option of badger vaccination is under active consideration.
Now that it has been licensed for the UK on 25 March, the Trust would urge WAG to take advantage of vaccination as a viable, more humane and cost-effective alternative to culling.
David Williams, Chairman of the Badger Trust, said:
“Whilst we are disappointed that, although permission was granted, the Minister’s Order was not quashed, this was not a simple case about winning or losing. Important issues emerged in these proceedings, which ought to give the Minister serious cause for thought before proceeding with any cull. We hope that compassion and sense will prevail in light of the latest evidence. Meanwhile, we will carefully consider appealing the judgment.”
Brian May, supporter of the Badger Trust, and Queen guitarist said:
“This is a disappointment, of course. But not just for thousands of badgers. The irony is that it is ultimately a tragedy for farmers too – the very farmers who have been pushing for badgers to be culled. The decision to cull cannot lead to any significant long-term gain in the fight against bovine TB, even with the complete extermination of our native badgers. I believe all this will be seen in a few years time for what it is … a tragic wrong turn, which did nothing to solve the problem of TB in cattle. For the sake of all involved, we will not be giving up the fight for what is right.”
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