24 Trent Boulevard West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 5BA

Natural England Foundry House 3 Millsands Riverside Exchange Sheffield S3 8NH

27th Octo er 2!"3

#ear Sir$ Re: Badger Culling & TB

% &rite to ex'ress (y concern and disgust that Natural England has agreed to an extension of the adger cull in )loucestershire* +hilst % understand that ,- is a har(ful disease &ith devastating effects on the ./0s agricultural 1 far(ing sector$ the alance of evidence is strongly against culling adgers as an effective (ethod of controlling ,- in cattle* ,his evidence is eco(ing ever (ore da(ning &ith the continued failure of the cull 'rogra((e to achieve its ai(s* ,he original six2&ee3 trial ex'eri(ent of culling adgers &as i('le(ented to deter(ine it4s effectiveness in reducing the adger 'o'ulation and controlling the s'read of ,-* ,his six &ee3 trial has no& co('leted and has failed to achieve anything li3e it4s target of 7!5 of the adger 'o'ulation* %s it not no& ti(e to declare the ex'eri(ent a failure and$ rather than continue &ith a 'olicy that does not$ and &ill not$ &or3$ consider other (ethods of controlling ,-* Extending the cull y eight &ee3s strongly suggests that the original six &ee3s &as NO, a trial to deter(ine it4s effectiveness and that it &as al&ays the intention to continue slaughtering adgers regardless of the results of 4the trial4* Natural England$ y continuing to grant licences to 3ill adgers$ is ignoring the ex'ert advice and &arnings that extending the cull (ay &ell result in ,- s'reads &orsening* Further(ore$ y 'ressing on &ith a failed and ill infor(ed 'olicy and not (onitoring the o'eration closely$ Natural England has effectively given the 4green light4 to oth licensed and unlicensed o'eratives$ far(ers and others to use &hatever (ethods they choose$ such as gassing adger setts and1or flooding &ith slurry$ to slaughter as (any adgers as 'ossi le so that a victory can e clai(ed6 regardless of the devastating conse7uences* ,hese activities are illegal and those res'onsi le (ust e 4 rought to oo34 and 'rosecuted* +hy has there not een any investigation8 ,he decision (ade y Natural England to extend the cull and continue &ith this 'olicy ignores the over&hel(ing scientific evidence on the su 9ect and 4flies in the face4 of it4s o&n (andate to ... safeguard England's natural wealth for the benefit of everyone. 6 in favour of slaughtering

our &ildlife to enefit a unch of far(ers and lando&ners &ho refuse to invest in 'ro'er iosecurity (easures$ secure fencing or ta3e res'onsi ility for loo3ing after their livestoc3 'ro'erly* %n other &ords$ Natural England together &ith these far(ers : lando&ners have cons'ired and agreed to sacrifice ...England's natural wealth.. for the 'rofit of the fe& and the i((easura le loss of the ;ountry* <accination is availa le for adgers and this$ co( ined &ith stronger and (andatory iosecurity controls and testing on dairy far(s$ &ould achieve (uch etter results in controlling ,- &ithout culling our &ildlife into extinction* -efore extending this cull or rolling out to other areas$ % &ould as3 that Natural England cancel the current eight &ee3 extension$ &ithdra& all licences to 3ill adgers and infor( govern(ent that the alance of scientific evidence$ and indeed 'u lic o'inion$ does not su''ort the culling of adgers as an effective (eans of controlling ,- and to 'lace (ore e('hasis on vaccination6 and also i('ose i('roved iosecurity re7uire(ents on far(ers and lando&ners as a (atter of urgency*

=ours faithfully

BarryHill
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