SW Greens celebrate end to badger culls
Published: 7 Jul 2008
The government has announced that a cull of badgers will not be one of the measures used to tackle TB in England.
Green Party Euro-candidate Roger Creagh-Osborne said, ‘Greens have been campaigning for this outcome for many years. The scientific evidence is clear that wiping out badgers across areas of the South West would not only be expensive but could also lead to the spread of the disease.
‘There are many farmers who care deeply about animal welfare and know that exterminating badgers will not compensate for problems which may be caused by cattle transportation, intensive stocking and husbandry methods. Farmers need our support, but rather than sterilising the countryside we simply need to ensure they are paid a proper price for the food they produce, so they can afford to improve animal welfare conditions and move towards more organic, sustainable farming practices.
‘The South West Green Party calls for better government protection for farmers against the effects of big supermarkets, food processors and distributors and cheap food imports. Better regulation of the food chain to protect consumers and farmers instead of promoting the industrialised distribution system will be a key theme for the South West Green Party's European campaign in 2009.’
Roger concluded: ‘This is good news for badgers, good news for the countryside and also good news for farmers. We will be working hard in Europe to promote the interests of farmers and their ability to produce high quality local food.’
