Save our wildlife - Go vegan!

Urgent: Contact Welsh minister John Griffiths to congratulate no ‘cull’ decision in Wales
Urgent: Contact Defra minister Jim Paice and ask England to follow Wales' lead
Urgent: Write to your local paper and back our dairy boycott
Urgent: Contact your MP to tell them ‘Badgers will fight back at the polls’
Urgent: Michelle O'Neill. No to badger 'culling' in Northern Ireland!
Urgent: National Trust. Ask them not to allow badger slaughter on their land

Badgers are under threat across the United Kingdom. They are the scapegoats of failed agricultural policy and political backslapping. Thankfully the Welsh Government has reversed policy to kill badgers and is now pursuing vaccination of wildlife (partly because of campaigning by you!). Despite becoming ever more isolated, the coalition Government in England is currently still intending to carry out two pilot ‘culls’ in autumn 2012.

Now Northern Ireland is being pressurised into considering a 'cull' despite having the lowest incidence of the disease. The largest report into bovine TB found that badger 'culling' would actually make the situation worse by displacing surviving badgers. It is not too late to try and make them see sense!

• Don't eat meat or dairy - animal agriculture is at the root of the badger's plight. Click here to find out how to ditch them! Sign our online petition to boycott English dairy.
   
• Click here for your free badger door-dropper leaflets. For bigger numbers of leaflets for stalls and other uses please email liam@viva.org.uk. Spread the word!
   
• Join our dedicated Welsh and English Facebook groups to fight badger 'culling'!
  
  
• Sign this epetition to the Government against the ‘cull’ in England.

• Protest!: organise you own peaceful protest. We can send you free materials (see above), we just need you to take the message to the people.
   
• Read George Monbiot's attack on the destruction of wildlife to protect financial interests here.
   
• Viva! needs your support. Please donate to our campaign and help us stop the misery of factory farming and the destruction of our wildlife. Join Viva! if you are not already a supporter.

Badgers at the ballot box! 
The decision in England to pursue a policy of badger ‘culling’ has little to do with eradicating TB in cattle. However, it has much to do with political favouritism and politicians holding onto their own seats by currying favour with a deluded farming lobby that thinks that badgers are to blame for their own failings.

What can we do? Although no elections are looming just yet, we think it is important to remind politicians (of all political colours) that a decision to back badgers might favour them, but a decision to back ‘culling’ could cost them dear at the ballot box. The email/letter below is suggested text, but please adjust it as you see fit (especially to tell a politician that you would normally vote for that you won’t because of this issue) and please keep all correspondence polite.

Find your MP’s contact details (England): http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

“Dear [name of politician of MP]

I am writing to you as a constituent to let you know that I am very concerned about the fate of badgers being scapegoated in a misguided attempt to control bovine TB. And also to let you know that should a badger ‘cull’ go ahead it will colour my choice at future elections. In other words, I will not vote for politicians who back any type badger ‘culling’ and I will be working to encourage friends and family to do likewise.

Persecuting badgers for being the main vector for spreading bTB makes as much sense as persecuting black cats for spreading bad luck and witchcraft. It is time that the badger stopped being a scapegoat for the failings of farming.

The qualified consensus - reached by the 10 year study by Independent Scientific Group - is that "badger culling cannot meaningfully contribute to the control of bovine TB in Britain." Yes, cases have sometimes increased, but the fact remains that the finger of blame for this crisis has to point back at the farming community and bad political decisions. They can attempt to demonise wildlife all they want, but the intensification of farming practices and the huge increase in cattle movements are the real reasons for the spread of this disease. Around 14 million cattle are moved across the UK each year - this number has quadrupled since 1999.

I wish to reiterate that my position is not based on sentiment, but on science. Indeed, eminent scientists and ecologists, such as Lord Krebs and Dr. Rosie Woodroffe, have recently condemned plans as going against the science.

With Wales now deciding on a policy of not ‘culling’ England is looking ever more isolated in its position.

Put simply, if you are against badger ‘culling’ I ask you to speak out and make your voice heard amongst fellow politicians and decision makers. If you support a policy of ‘culling’ I ask you to reconsider this and the impact it could have on your seat come election time and the impact on your party. Please do not underestimate the strength of feeling that is burgeoning across the country at this needless push to eradicate badgers when farming based measures alone could bring the TB crisis under control.

Yours sincerely”
[Don’t forget to add your address!]

Support the English dairy boycott

Are you an English resident? To spread awareness about our dairy boycott, please send the letter below (or even better your own version) to your local publication - and raise awareness as to why badgers might die.

"Dear Editor

I am delighted that Wales has now rejected badger ‘culling’ in favour of vaccination of wildlife, and I hope that the collation Government in England will follow their lead. Unfortunately, at the present time badgers are due to be killed here later in the year. In protest I am boycotting English dairy products.

Persecuting badgers for being the main vector for spreading bTB makes as much sense as persecuting black cats for spreading bad luck and witchcraft. It is time that the badger stopped being a scapegoat for the failings of farming.

The qualified consensus - reached by the 10 year study by Independent Scientific Group - is that "badger culling cannot meaningfully contribute to the control of bovine TB in Britain." Yes, cases have sometimes increased, but the fact remains that the finger of blame for this crisis has to point back at the farming community and bad political decisions. They can attempt to demonise English wildlife all they want, but the intensification of farming practices and the huge increase in cattle movements are the real reasons for the spread of this disease. Around 14 million cattle are moved across the UK each year - this number has quadrupled since 1999.

Dairy herd sizes have more than doubled since the 1970s - when bovine TB was at its lowest. There is a direct correlation between larger herd sizes and the spread of disease. The rush to intensify animal agriculture has led to this disastrous situation. Dairy cows suffer the dual burden of pregnancy and lactation during much of their lives. Their immune systems are shot to pieces and they are physically exhausted and killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan. Add to this unreliable bovine TB testing that is inaccurate in one-third of cases and you start to see the real causes of the problem.

My disgust that English badgers are still under threat is so profound that I am boycotting all English dairy products - and I would encourage all those with a love of our indigenous wildlife to do the same. Perhaps a drop in profits will bring the industry - and our politicians - to their senses.

For more information on what you can do, visit www.viva.org.uk/badgers

Yours faithfully"

Email Jim Paice

Ask the coalition in England to follow the lead of Wales

Despite the u-turn in Wales over badger ‘culling’, the coalition is still currently pushing ahead with plans to kill badgers in two trial areas in England in the Autumn of 2012. Please write to Minister Jim Paice to ask him to reconsider this policy in light of the decision in Wales.

Email him: james.paice.mp@parliament.uk

“Dear Mr Paice

I am sure that you are aware that Wales has now abandoned a policy of killing badgers in favour of vaccination instead. As England is now looking increasingly isolated in its policy of badger eradication I am urging you to consider following their lead and pursuing a non-lethal, science led approach to fighting TB in cattle.

Part of the plans put forward by John Griffiths in Wales include a pilot of auditing TB testing by vets; a volunteer scheme to look at data being made available to neighbouring farms and preparing for a cattle vaccination strategy.

Vaccination, coupled with the increased levels of cattle testing, improved bio-security (and ensuring those measures are enforced by law) and control on the movement of cattle, are all ways to reduce TB in cattle. I would also urge more research into the role that lax biosecurity at British markets (as shown by the Viva! investigation in 2011) and hunting potentially play in the spread of TB in cattle. More research also needs to be done into the intensification of the dairy industry. With herd sizes double what they were in the 1970s, and cows expected to produce more milk than ever before, these animals’ bodies are understandably under ever more stress – and are therefore more susceptible to disease.

Any ‘cull’ of badgers in England will be an animal welfare disaster – and there can be no justification to spill the blood of wildlife when our neighbour is pursuing a sensible, non-lethal approach.

As you know, the policy to kill badgers in England is incredibly unpopular with the majority of voters and is also likely to be damaging politically. Please reverse the policy in England to kill badgers.

Yours sincerely”

Email John Griffiths

Congratulate Welsh Labour for abandoning the ‘cull’

John Griffiths AM has made the brave – and right – decision to abandon the policy of the previous Plaid Cymru led administration to kill Welsh wildlife in a misguided attempt to stem the spread of bovine TB. Please write to the Minister to congratulate him on doing the right thing.

Email him: john.griffiths@wales.gsi.gov.uk

"Dear Mr Griffiths

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate you for taking the science-led decision to vaccinate badgers in the Intensive Action Area instead of pursuing the ‘culling’ policy of the previous administration.

Vaccination, coupled with the increased levels of cattle testing, improved bio-security and control on the movement of cattle, are all ways to reduce TB in cattle. I would also urge more research into the role that lax biosecurity at Welsh markets (as shown by the Viva! investigation in 2011) and hunting potentially play in the spread of TB in cattle. More research also needs to be done into the intensification of the dairy industry. With herd sizes double what they were in the 1970s and cows expected to produce more milk than ever before these animals’ bodies are understandably under ever more stress – and are therefore more susceptible to disease.

I would also urge you to put funds towards policing wildlife crime. I was extremely disturbed to listen to politicians (after your announcement at the Senedd) who were in favour of a ‘cull’ appear to say that they would sanction farmers taking matters into their own hands. This could be translated as sanctioning killing badgers in the misguided belief that it will curb TB. Obviously, not only would this risk a perturbation effect it would be illegal – and cause untold suffering to Welsh wildlife. Please ensure the prosecution of anyone caught targeting badgers – and anyone who encourages it.

I understand that you have been under enormous pressure to authorise ‘culling’ of badgers – but I am relieved that you have decided to pursue a non-lethal policy of vaccination instead.

I hope that politicians in Westminster will take note and follow your example.

Yours sincerely”

Write to the National Trust!

They are sending out mixed messages on badger ‘culling’. Not so long ago they issued a statement that said: “In the absence of scientific support for culling badgers, the right course of action must be to focus on the other measures, in particular a better understanding of cattle to cattle transmission, the implementation of effective biosecurity, and the development of effective vaccines, especially in the short term, for badgers.”However, they have since apparently made a U-turn and have told the farming press that it will allow ‘culling’ on its land “... as long as the criteria for a successful cull are met.”

Please write to The National Trust to tell them not to allow ‘culling’ on their land. If you are a member, please tell them that you may have to rethink your membership. If you are not a member, please tell them that their future policy will affect your decisions in the future.

Email them: Enquiries@thenationaltrust.org.uk

Dear National Trust

I was extremely disappointed to hear that the organisation may allow badger ‘culling’ on its property after all. This seems to be a complete u-turn on a previous statement that acknowledged the truth that there is not a consensus of scientific support for killing badgers in an attempt to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

I agree with the Trust’s previous statement that “Science not sentiment on bovine TB control is right approach”. As you know, the largest ever study into the disease found that killing badgers made no meaningful contribution to limiting the spread of the disease.

In fact, the government’s piecemeal approach to badger ‘culling’ goes completely against the advice of that report. Licensing farmers to shoot on their own land is liable to spread the disease rather than contain it, as this could merely push the problem elsewhere.

The fact that the government will not even organise testing dead badgers for TB shows that this is not a serious attempt to control disease. Rather it is a political decision to appease rural voters. They are not testing dead badgers because they know that those tests will come back to show that the majority are clear of the disease – as has happened with previous testing regimes.

The Trust says that it will allow ‘culling’ on its land if it is carried out “... to the highest possible welfare standards”. With that in mind, the Trust cannot possibly put its name to this bloodshed.  The government admits the killing of free-running badgers has not been tested. It cannot therefore be judged as ‘humane’. Rifles and shotguns will be used – and this shooting will be done at night, as badgers are nocturnal animals. This will happen away from public or official scrutiny, and undoubtedly many badgers will be injured and not killed outright. In no way can this ever be described as humane.

With Wales now deciding on a policy of not ‘culling’ England is looking ever more isolated in its position.

If the Trust bows to pressure for the unjust destruction of British wildlife I will not be able to support the National Trust in any capacity in the future.

I hope you will once again reiterate your opposition to the ‘culling’ of badgers.

Yours faithfully"

Stop the 'cull' in Northern Ireland

If there was one place where you would think that badgers would be safe it would be Northern Ireland (NI). The incidence of bovine TB (bTB) is lower there than anywhere in the UK, and lower than in the Republic of Ireland. Levels of bTB in NI cattle fell by 50 per cent between 2002-07 - this was achieved without killing any badgers by using effective cattle control methods. However, farmers are once again clamouring for ‘culling’ in NI – boosted by the disastrous policy in England. Please ask Minister O’Neill not to bow to this pressure.

Wherever you live, please help us make sure she does not change her mind and allow badger ‘culling’ in NI. Use the letter below as a template (or even better create your own).

Send polite messages to:
Michelle O'Neill
Minister of Agriculture
Room 337
Parliament Buildings
Belfast BT4 3XX 

Or email: private.office@dardni.gov.uk
Or fax: 02890524170

"Dear Minister O’Neill

I am writing to you to ask that you do not follow the disastrous lead set in England with regards to trying to tackle TB in cattle.

According the the Northern Ireland Badger Group, only 17 per cent of badgers in NI are infected with TB. Plus, the defeat of the Welsh Assembly's plans to kill badgers in Wales by the Appeal Court shows that plans in NI could very well suffer the same fate if plans were formulated to kill badgers in NI. A drop of just 9 per cent in bTB, as highlighted by the case, is not enough to justify the slaughter of thousands of wild animals. It also clearly shows the crux of the problem lies elsewhere.

Badgers are not to blame for the bTB crisis. Michelle Gildernew previously stated that, "… we do not know with any certainty the extent to which badgers contribute to the incidence of TB in cattle." However, the largest study ever undertaken into the issue - the Independent Scientific Group's report - stated categorically that 'culling' badgers would make no meaningful contribution to controlling the spread of the disease - and could make things worse. NI has shown the way in recent years in sensibly tackling bTB through the main vector - cattle-to-cattle transmission. The reduction of 50 per cent (between 2002-07) of bTB in cattle is encouraging - and all without killing wildlife. I urge you to continue with this approach.

It is also madness to begin killing wildlife, even in a limited way, when there are issues left unaddressed within farming. The NI Audit Office's report, The Control of Bovine Tuberculosis in NI (March 2009), highlighted several areas for future improvement in the fight against bTB - but was firmly against badger 'culling'. The report blames inadequate boundary fencing and poor on-farm bio-security; the failure of farmers to take part in training to limit the spread of disease and increase their bio-security knowledge; failure to implement pre-movement testing; and failure to tackle potentially widespread non-compliance by farmers, and insufficient fines to discourage future fraud.

Whilst these issues remain unaddressed in NI, I would suggest that your department's efforts are better served tackling these problems - as well as fast tracking vaccination for both badgers and cattle. Please continue to say no to the needless slaughter of NI wildlife.

Yours sincerely"