Brockwatch

Brockwatch supports two national campaigns run by the Badger Trust:

Stop the Badger Cull!

In 1973 a dead badger found on a farm in Gloucestershire tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Ever since then, with few interruptions, the Government has been slaughtering badgers in the hope that this would eradicate bTB in cattle. This policy has failed - in fact bTB in cattle has increased dramatically in recent years. Scientific evidence shows that this is mainly due to movements of infected cattle, which are not detected by the current TB testing regime.

Towards the end of 2005, the Government announced a consultation on proposals to carry out badger 'culling' to reduce bTB in cattle. By the closing date of March 10th 2006, over 35,000 responses had been received (including one from Brockwatch, and more from individual Brockwatch members). We now await the Government's decision (due in Summer 2007). The Government has always vowed to base its decisions on 'sound science'. Yet all the scientific evidence shows that killing badgers will make matters worse, or only slightly better, unless badgers are killed intensively over very large areas. Killing badgers on such a scale would be unacceptable to the public, expensive and impractical to carry out, and in breach of the UK's obligations under the Bern Convention.

For more information on bovine TB and badgers, see the Badger Trust website.

Ban snares!

Snares are a barbaric method of 'pest control'. They are also indiscriminate, injuring and killing large numbers of badgers, other protected wildlife, livestock and domestic pets every year. The Badger Trust, along with the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports, is campaigning for a ban on the use of all types of snare. To back up this demand, a national database of snaring incidents is being built up.

For more information on snares and the need for a ban, see the Badger Trust website.