East Yorkshire Badger Protection Group
Landmark decission for wildlife
The Badger Trust has WON its appeal against the Welsh Assembly’s proposed cull of badgers in Pembrokeshire. more...
Badgers win eleventh hour reprieve
The Welsh Assembly Government has today agreed to postpone the badger cull pending the Court of Appeal’s consideration of a challenge to the cull’s legality. more...
Badger Trust appeals to the High Court
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. more...
Badger Watch at Cropton Forest - 22nd May 2010
It was a perfect evening for walking through the forest to the badger hide where we were amazed to find that a badger had already appeared and was munching on the food put out by Paul. However, it soon trotted off. Later a couple of badgers came out of the sett to forage about, so we had a good chance to use the camcorder. We were also entertained by a couple of grey squirrels who took advantage of the peanuts intended for the badgers, also bluetits, a chaffinch and a noisy gang of jays.
1000’s of badgers to be slaughtered FOR NOTHING!
PAC = Pembrokeshire Against the Cull, is an alliance of local people fighting the cull imposed upon the farmers and landowners of West Wales by the Welsh Assembly (WAG) based on panic tactics and ignoring the Government's own scientific survey. Here is their description of a dramatic incident last week.
"The Welsh Assembly Government's heavy handed treatment of landowners took a sharp turn for the worse on Tuesday as men and women wearing black balaclavas, the WAG contractors, arrived unannounced with large numbers of police to carry out sett surveys on farms and land around Newport. Three people were arrested for spurious reasons, and later released without charge or any further action. No sett surveys were actually undertaken. Such extreme and intimidating actions caused concern and alarm amongst other landowners and residents, especially those on their own or with children or vulnerable adults in their care. Some have contacted their Assembly Member and MP to demand an explanation and assurance that this menacing and completely unreasonable behaviour will not happen again. Others with concerns about the way they are being treated by WAG should do likewise. PAC will publicise any useful information received as responses that supporters wish us to pass on. These incidents have inevitably sparked outrage at, and more public awareness of, the unnecessary and draconian measures adopted by WAG.
For the most comprehensive account and photographs of what happened look at the blog of Peter Black, Welsh Assembly Member.
Regretfully, we must be aware that scenes like this MAY happen in England - what would YOU do in these circumstances?"
BADGER DIGGERS CAUGHT IN EAST YORKSHIRE!
We have learnt that the court case involving the three alleged badger diggers at Sunk Island has been postponed yet again to an unknown date. More information later."
Humberside Police take all wildlife crime, but especially interference with badger setts, very seriously indeed and should be contacted if you see anything suspicious.
Badger diggers are still active in our area, so be vigilant, but DO NOT put yourselves in danger; these people are DANGEROUS!
Welsh Badger Cull Update
The Badger Trust has launched a judicial review challenge against the Welsh Assembly Ministers’ decision to press ahead with a badger cull in Wales notwithstanding the species’ protected status. The court will be asked to quash the TB Eradication (Wales) Order 2009, which purports to authorise the cull on the grounds it will mitigate the spread of TB. The Trust’s claim argues that the test imposed by legislation – any culling must be strictly necessary to eliminate or substantially reduce the spread of disease – has not been met. The overwhelming preponderance of the scientific evidence shows that the proposed cull would in fact be likely to increase the incidence of TB, as badgers tend to range more widely or emigrate when a cull is afoot.
The Ministers’ response to the claim is due in late January. A preliminary decision is expected from the court in the Spring. The Minister for Rural Affairs has confirmed that there will be no culling before May 2010.
Gwendolen Morgan of Bindmans LLP represents the claimants. She said today:
“Whilst my clients are most sympathetic to the plight of farmers, the decision to cull goes against all the scientific evidence. The lead report carried out by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB concluded that ‘While badgers are clearly a source of cattle TB, careful evaluation of our own and others’ data indicates that badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain.’ Against this background, we consider that the Minister has paid regrettably little attention to the legal tests and has neglected her duties under domestic and European environmental legislation.”
David Williams, Chairman of the Badger Trust, said:
“It is with some reluctance but nevertheless firm resolve that we must, as an organisation dedicated to the welfare and protection of the badger, enter into these proceedings at the highest level. The decision is unjust and goes against the scientific evidence. The law affords us this opportunity of challenging the legality of the Minister’s intention to kill badgers, and we are now taking it”.