283 lines
7.6 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
283 lines
7.6 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
earth
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agriculture
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farming
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8526748
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-----
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# Badger cull may be called off following minister's admission that 'question
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mark' hangs over the plan
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## The proposed badger cull to tackle bovine tuberculosis looks set to be
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delayed after a minister admitted that there was a "question mark" over the
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plan.
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![Badgers may be free to roam after minister appeared to imply that cull would
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not go ahead][1]
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Badgers may be free to roam after minister appeared to imply that cull would
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not go ahead Photo: ALAMY
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[![Rosa Prince][2]][3]
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Rosa Prince and Louise Gray 6:00AM BST 21 May 2011
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[Comments][4]
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Farmers are keen for the cull to go ahead during this summer, but although an
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announcement was due last month, the Government has yet to give the green
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light to the move, which is opposed by animal rights group.
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Badgers tend to remain underground once the cold weather sets in around
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September, and a shoot is unlikely to be called during the winter breeding
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season, meaning that there is a very short window for the cull to take place
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this year.
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But amid speculation that the Government is seeking to avoid another 'mess up'
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following the humiliating about-turn on the sell-off of forests earlier this
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year, Jim Paice, the Agriculture Minister, suggested that cull may not take
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place at all.
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He also disclosed that ministers were concerned that legal challenges could be
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mounted to delay the mass shooting of badgers.
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Those opposed to the cull say that there is no scientific evidence to suggest
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that badgers are responsible for the spread of bovine TB.
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## Related Articles
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* [Adam Henson gets death threats][5]
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09 May 2011
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* [Badger cull in Wales to go ahead][6]
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09 Mar 2011
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* [Government scientist suspected of contracting bovine TB from badger][7]
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13 Aug 2009
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* [Bovine TB infection still threatens human health in the UK][8]
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22 Dec 2008
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* [Farmers to be handed powers to cull badgers][9]
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06 Sep 2010
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Speaking on the BBC's Politics Show, Mr Paice said: "We will be making our
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announcements about it in the not-too-distant future once we're certain that,
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if we were to go ahead, we could resist the inevitable judicial review that
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would come.
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"There has to be a question-mark at this moment in time until we make a final
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decision and an announcement."
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Sources at the Department for the Environment said the delay had been ordered
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to avoid a repeat of the forests "debacle" which saw the cancellation of a
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consultation into taking the nation's woodland out of public ownership after
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just three weeks in the face of widespread public opposition.
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Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, was forced to apologise after a
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mass outcry from voters, many in Tory-voting areas, led to the Government
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abandoning the plan.
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A Government source said: "They've messed up on forests - they don't want
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another one."
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There are fears that a cull of badgers could prompt a similar response,
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embroiling ministers in an unwelcome battle with animal-loving voters, as well
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as animal rights groups.
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The Badgers Trust has already said that it mount a legal challenge to stop any
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cull.
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But calling off the shootings will infuriate farmers, who had been assured
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before and after the election that threat from badgers would be tackled.
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An announcement is now not expected until July, giving farmers just two months
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to carry out any cull even if they are not delayed by legal challenges.
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Jan Rowe, a dairy farmer in Gloucestershire who has lost more than 170 animals
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to TB, said: "I think most farmers are aware that the chance of a culling this
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year is pretty remote, meanwhile the disease appears to be striding on.
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"The chances of any significant culling this year are very remote but the main
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thing is to start the process going so we can do it next year otherwise there
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will extreme disappointment among farmers."
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But Jack Reedy of the Badger Trust insisted that levels of bovine TB were
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falling in thanks to improved biosecurity measures on farms.
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He added: "We strongly advocate them not to go ahead with badger culling on
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the grounds of science and legality."
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Mary Creagh, the shadow environment secretary, said: "After months of hedging
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their bets, ministers have finally admitted that there is a "question-mark"
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over their plans to allow free shooting of badgers.
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"Bovine TB is a terrible disease yet there is no scientific evidence that free
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shooting will help fight it, and the Government cut five of the six badger
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vaccine trials which Labour set up.
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"After the fiascos over forests this looks like another disaster in the making
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from the worst performing department in government."
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[What are these?][11]
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* Share: [Share][10] [ ][12] [ ][13]
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[Tweet][14]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/8526748/Badger-cull-may-
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be-called-off-following-ministers-admission-that-question-mark-hangs-over-the-
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plan.html
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Telegraph
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## [Farming][15]
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* ### [News »][16]
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* ### [Politics »][17]
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* ### [Conservative »][18]
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* ### [Environment »][19]
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* ### [Rosa Prince »][20]
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In earth
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[![A LANDSAT-7 satellite image taken in 2007 of Parana, Southern Brazil][21]
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][22]
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### [Agriculture patterns from space][22]
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[![Water extracted from potatoes could replace supplies from the tap and even
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provide drinking water in areas suffering from drought. ][23] ][24]
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### [Potatoes could boost water supplies][24]
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[![Filling out Cattle Passports ][25] ][26]
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### [Farmer condemns cattle passport rules over bullock's slaughter][26]
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[![Deadly cattle disease eliminated ][27] ][28]
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### [Deadly cattle disease eliminated][28]
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[![Farm buildings could make excellent family homes, minister says
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][29] ][30]
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### [Andrew Stunell: farm buildings should be used for residential homes][30]
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[X][10] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][11]
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Share:
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* [ ][10]
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][13]
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* [Tweet][14]
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* Advertisement
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![][31]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][32] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][33]
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