The NFU's original stance until the government became 'threatening', was to push for BTB treatment as is the case in most other countries in the world. Only one scientist has ever made a supposedly scientific case for the cull, the NFU did not accept his methods originally. All (ALL, to make it clear) other scientists have opposed or included serious doubts about the value of any form of cull and the balance of the research community is against the badger cull. The RSPCA has been decried as more or less a load of tree hugging, lefty loonies by the present government. It is a scandalous perversion of anything scientific. The point being made by Forman et al and by experts within NFU circles, etc, have simply been dismissed and in the case of the NFU their traditional government support put at risk. The point is, which anybody who knows statistics and their ilk will know, is that the way so-called facts and figures have been present by the incumbent government has been on the terms of accept our facts and figures or be punished. So, of course the cods wallop that has been used to justify a single species cull has become the gospel truth. Had the fact that dogs are far more likely to spread TB than badgers ever been allowed to reach the public the uproar would have been more than they could withstand. That, sadly, is a truth that dog lovers like myself should think about and ensure the vaccination of our dogs against TB. However, cattle should be inoculated as well. They are not but could be. As one veterinary expert said two years ago, it is cheaper to cull badgers than inoculate all cattle.
We have just returned from our local hunts annual meal (p*ss up) given to land owners in thanks for their land being included in the area of land from which the annual kill quotas are calculated . We had chevreuil for the main & jolly nice it was too!, that is until I returned home, saw this thread & realised that according to Mr "M" I had a 36% chance of eating an infected beast. The vast quantities of langustines consumed as a starter probably did my gout no good either but that would be my stupidity if it flairs up again:-)
Our hunt are no problem (to us anyway) & don't hunt near our patch as they know we have horses.
I did ask when the season started but between the venue & my house I seem to have forgotten. Does cheese affect one's memory?
Brian, I have ived in the the south west of England for twenty years and my friends have had reactors for the first time. They have Dexters and this is the first time they have had a problem, despite moving thier herd from just outside Stroud, which is one of the real hotspots.
I am sorry but I can not accept these figures. If this was really the case the NFU would be calling for different measures. My grandfather was if the founder members of the NFU, which really understands the problems facing the countryrside and producing food for the UK.
Jane, culls are not justifiable scientifically. Dr Dan Forman CBiol.MIBiol.EurProBiol. of the Conservation Ecology Research Team, Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University recently said:
'These are the facts!!! Latest data on domestic and companion animals from VLA, the BIG question here is why they do not consider the species they have identified high prevalence of TB as problems? Basic summary of 2009 data thus far:
Deer = 36% positive (includes farmed, wild and park deer)
Cat = 25% positive
Dog = 27% positive
Pig = 19% positive
Alpaca = 56% positive
Llama = 0%
Sheep = 44% positive
Goat = 0
Ferret (!) = 0
Farmed wild boar = 0 (NB: two cases this year confirmed for wild boar and TB, both on TB infected farms
if they are going to cull badgers then in that same area. They would have to cull other sources.'
Scientific evidence actually indicts deer far more than badger. Sheep are also a 'problem' in this regard. The 'TB in cattle has risen in line with the badger population' story is purely UK government rationalising of their decision to cull.
OK, so much for using the imminent badger cull in the UK that will eliminate very little BTB. The sanglier story is much the same. Their hunting is controlled, necessarily as with all other hunts since the bottom line is that an all year round hunt would see their extermination. Two downsides there: eventual extinction and hunters would lose one of their favourite species to hunt. In terms of a European census they are not numerous enough to be a pest. Exceptional hunts are permitted, and often very necessarily, when large amounts of damage occurs.
So Jane, I am not an impassioned hunt objector as my ownership of a hunting bow will bear witness to. I do simply wish people who hunt would 'share' the world with others which is why I make a pest of myself. Fox hunting UK style was abhorrent for the attitude of those who did it, eliminating grey squirrels who were a very stupid import is fine by me.
Sanglier are officially classed as pests, and the hunt is often called in when they are becoming a nuisance. They hide in the maize and can destroy a crop quite quickly. This is when the local farmers call in the hunt.
We regularly see sanglier in road accicdents along the R79.
At the moment in the Uk the deer population is the greatest it has ever been and they also cause road accidents. Many people do not realise that because we have exterminated the highest level pf predators, the only people left to control certain species which become nuisances is man.
This equally applies to badgers in the UK. The level of bovine TB in cattle has risen in line with the badger population when they became a protected species.
Grey squirrels cause untold damage to the tree population in the UK. They take out the crowns of trees which prohibits their growth and leads to ultimate death.
http://www.frc-midipyrenees.fr/IMG/pdf/arrete_ouverture_et_cloture_2013-2014-2.pdf
all the details here
They will, just check that site for about the next three weeks by which time all departments are at it. I blatantly use a yellow one at the height of the season and carry a small radio with nice soothing heavy metal, Wagner or something all and sundry can hear.
Thanks for all the info, it looks like they are after sanglier and although the list that Brian sent to me was great, it looks like our region has not published their dates yet! Better buy myself an orange jacket to make myself visible!
To get exact dates take a look at http://www.chasseurdefrance.com/dates-douverture.html. At present there is battue for sanglier in several departments, we had them out in force today, grimacing at me walking my dogs along a yellow marked path in the forest...
All dates are put up on the notice-board for public announcements at the Mairie, there are rules which have to be visible to everyone specifying what goes for shooting, fishing, dates, species, quantities allowed etc. There is also a garde-chasse with responsibility for one or several communes and a telephone-call about anything that seems wrong eg shooting too close to houses etc, usually does the trick. You can also forbid the chasse to come onto your land. If there is a battue exceptionnelle for nuisibles they have to tell everyone in advance.