PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed: 3rdMarch 2014
Stratford plays host to badger march
Environmental campaigners and conservationists will head for Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday March 15th, for a peaceful rally to express their opposition to the Coalition's badger culls.
The event will start at 12 noon at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in the town centre with a march to the riverside and back, returning for a speech from one of the country's best-known environmental campaigners, Dominic Dyer, Chief Executive of the Badger Trust and policy adviser for the international charity Care for the Wild
Lydia Hocking, who is organising the rally with help from Warwickshire Badger Group, is encouraging people throughout the county and beyond to turn up and show their support.
"Already hundreds of badgers-most of them healthy--have been slaughtered in Gloucestershire and Somerset in futile and failed pilot culling trials authorised by Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson. Against the overwhelming advice of the country's top independent animal disease scientists, and widespread public opposition, he wants to roll out more culls this year and kill over 100,000 badgers as part of attempts to control bovine TB.
"But we know, based on 10 years of Government-funded research, these culls aren't the answer and could make the disease worse. In the interests of wildlife and the farming community we want the Coalition to follow expert advice and beat bTB through better testing, increased biosecurity, tighter controls over cattle movements, and vaccination; first for badgers and then ultimately for cattle."
Badger culls have come under prolonged criticism in recent months. The two trial culls, which failed to kill the targeted number of badgers, cost the UK taxpayer £2.6 million in policing costs alone, and the total costs so far have been estimated by Care For The Wild at around £7 million, or more than £4,000 per badger killed.
The Stratford event is being supported by Warwickshire Badger Group. Jack Reedy, Chairman of the Group and media adviser to the Badger Trust, will introduce Dominic Dyer on the day. Wildlife campaigner Drew Pratten, Jude Walker from Gloucestershire against badger shooting (GABS) and the Green Party's Karen Varga have all confirmed their attendance at the event, which is already expected to be attended by hundreds.
Lydia continued:"TB rates are already falling in UK herds, thanks to new cattle-based disease control measures and this is a chance for everyone who cares about wildlife, and who wants to see a science-based solution to this dreadful disease, to voice their support and help bring an end to badger culls once and for all."
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Denise Taylor, Bridge PR & Media Services on tel: 024 76 520025, email:denise@bridgepr.co.uk