League welcomes legal challenge to badger cull
The League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed moves by the Badger Trust to legally challenge the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) proposed badger culls.
The Trust has written to Defra detailing grounds for a legal challenge to the two pilot culls in England in the autumn unless the decision is overturned. If the challenge goes ahead it will be based on the grounds that the Badger Trust believes the cull may be unlawful and that Defra has not addressed concerns that the culls could in fact spread bovine TB rather than prevent it.
Defra announced last month that farmers and landowners in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset can apply for licenses allowing badgers to be shot on their land as part of efforts to curb the spread of bovine TB. The League’s chief executive Joe Duckworth said: “The Badger Trust has our full support in challenging Defra in this way. We have been clear from the offset that pilot culls are in no way a logical solution to the devastating impact of bovine TB. Allowing people to go out and shoot badgers in small pockets of England is a ridiculous response to a very serious problem. We hope Defra will seriously consider the implications of this and reverse its decision”.
Culling will take place over a six week period in the autumn and will be paid for by farmers. The trials will test the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of controlled shooting of badgers.
Please contact the League’s Press Office on 01483 524250 (24hrs) with any queries, or email press@league.org.uk.