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| Protecting Britain's precious natural world | Protecting Britain's precious natural world |
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| There is no way that the entire badger population in the two pilot cull zones will be destroyed (Culls risk illegally exterminating badgers, animal expert warns, 27 May). Safeguards have been put in place to ensure this does not happen. The culls will not take place over 100% of the cull zones and will be carried out under licence by trained professionals to ensure they are safe, effective and humane. These safeguards are based on the most up-to-date science and badger population estimates. | There is no way that the entire badger population in the two pilot cull zones will be destroyed (Culls risk illegally exterminating badgers, animal expert warns, 27 May). Safeguards have been put in place to ensure this does not happen. The culls will not take place over 100% of the cull zones and will be carried out under licence by trained professionals to ensure they are safe, effective and humane. These safeguards are based on the most up-to-date science and badger population estimates. |
| No farmer wants to see the wholesale destruction of the badger population. Culls will only ever be carried out in areas where tuberculosis is endemic and will never be carried out nationwide. What the thousands of farmers living with the threat of bovine TB hanging over their businesses want to see is action now to curb the spread of this disease. This can only be achieved through a comprehensive suite of measures designed to tackle TB on all fronts, including in wildlife. Tom Hind Director of corporate affairs, National Farmers' Union | No farmer wants to see the wholesale destruction of the badger population. Culls will only ever be carried out in areas where tuberculosis is endemic and will never be carried out nationwide. What the thousands of farmers living with the threat of bovine TB hanging over their businesses want to see is action now to curb the spread of this disease. This can only be achieved through a comprehensive suite of measures designed to tackle TB on all fronts, including in wildlife. Tom Hind Director of corporate affairs, National Farmers' Union |
| • I cannot understand why reports on the findings of the independent scientific group on cattle TB concentrate on only one of its two key conclusions – that badger culling could make no meaningful contribution to control of TB in cattle. | • I cannot understand why reports on the findings of the independent scientific group on cattle TB concentrate on only one of its two key conclusions – that badger culling could make no meaningful contribution to control of TB in cattle. |
| Sir John Bourne, in his covering letter to the secretary of state in June 2007, stated: "Scientific findings indicate that the rising incidence of disease can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of cattle-based control measures alone… Our report provides advice on the need for Defra to develop disease-control strategies, based on scientific findings. Implementation of such strategies will require Defra to institute more effective operational structures, and the farming and veterinary communities to accept the scientific findings." | Sir John Bourne, in his covering letter to the secretary of state in June 2007, stated: "Scientific findings indicate that the rising incidence of disease can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of cattle-based control measures alone… Our report provides advice on the need for Defra to develop disease-control strategies, based on scientific findings. Implementation of such strategies will require Defra to institute more effective operational structures, and the farming and veterinary communities to accept the scientific findings." |
| Judging from Bourne's recent remarks, it would appear that neither the previous Labour administration nor the current coalition has acted upon his committee's advice and that the farming community has not accepted the established science. Ivor Annetts Tiverton, Devon | Judging from Bourne's recent remarks, it would appear that neither the previous Labour administration nor the current coalition has acted upon his committee's advice and that the farming community has not accepted the established science. Ivor Annetts Tiverton, Devon |
| • George Monbiot (My manifesto for rewilding the world, 28 May) presents a delightful idea, except for the fact that Britain is a densely populated country – we have difficulty co-existing with badgers! Before we think of reintroducing mesofauna, let's try to keep what we already have. | • George Monbiot (My manifesto for rewilding the world, 28 May) presents a delightful idea, except for the fact that Britain is a densely populated country – we have difficulty co-existing with badgers! Before we think of reintroducing mesofauna, let's try to keep what we already have. |
| The Essex Wildlife Trust is trying to hang on to our minimal population of dormice by managing their habitat. Many other trusts are working in the same way with other species. Much of the damage to our ecosystems is due to the introduction of foreign mesofauna – sika deer for example – and even native deer have so increased in numbers that they need culling, having no natural predators. Reintroduce the wolf to control them? Have you any idea of the range needed for a wolf pack? Val Spouge Braintree, Essex | The Essex Wildlife Trust is trying to hang on to our minimal population of dormice by managing their habitat. Many other trusts are working in the same way with other species. Much of the damage to our ecosystems is due to the introduction of foreign mesofauna – sika deer for example – and even native deer have so increased in numbers that they need culling, having no natural predators. Reintroduce the wolf to control them? Have you any idea of the range needed for a wolf pack? Val Spouge Braintree, Essex |
| • I read Chris Packham's article (Britain's paradise has been lost, 25 May) with interest. The fact that Natural England is about to allow the destruction of buzzards and their nests is outrageous. The war against protected raptors continues unabated. The fact that much of this activity is illegal is no deterrent. Unfortunately, none of the main parties shows much interest in the natural world. They would if their seats were threatened. Gordon Woodroffe York | • I read Chris Packham's article (Britain's paradise has been lost, 25 May) with interest. The fact that Natural England is about to allow the destruction of buzzards and their nests is outrageous. The war against protected raptors continues unabated. The fact that much of this activity is illegal is no deterrent. Unfortunately, none of the main parties shows much interest in the natural world. They would if their seats were threatened. Gordon Woodroffe York |
| • Sad to read that Natural England has granted a licence to destroy buzzard nests and eggs to protect pheasants. I've walked the woods around here for many years and seen countless buzzards and far too many pheasants but I've never seen a buzzard take a pheasant. I would prefer them to grant a licence to destroy the halfwits who present the greatest threat to pheasants. The winter months are ruined around here by the sound of incessant shooting. Rod White Uley, Gloucestershire | • Sad to read that Natural England has granted a licence to destroy buzzard nests and eggs to protect pheasants. I've walked the woods around here for many years and seen countless buzzards and far too many pheasants but I've never seen a buzzard take a pheasant. I would prefer them to grant a licence to destroy the halfwits who present the greatest threat to pheasants. The winter months are ruined around here by the sound of incessant shooting. Rod White Uley, Gloucestershire |
| • The State of Nature report Chris Packham refers to is a catalogue of despair for our wildlife, highlighting how butterflies have declined by 72% in the last 10 years for example. However, the future is even more uncertain for our enigmatic glowworms, a beetle of warm summer evenings, which recent research from Essex suggests is declining faster than our butterflies – with a 74% reduction in numbers between 2001 and 2010. | • The State of Nature report Chris Packham refers to is a catalogue of despair for our wildlife, highlighting how butterflies have declined by 72% in the last 10 years for example. However, the future is even more uncertain for our enigmatic glowworms, a beetle of warm summer evenings, which recent research from Essex suggests is declining faster than our butterflies – with a 74% reduction in numbers between 2001 and 2010. |
| It is hard to be optimistic, but there are things that can be done to bring our wildlife back. For glowworms, active habitat management could slow down the decline and possibly reverse it in the long term. | It is hard to be optimistic, but there are things that can be done to bring our wildlife back. For glowworms, active habitat management could slow down the decline and possibly reverse it in the long term. |
| Coppicing of ancient woodland is one such conservation practice that could help our glowworms survive for future generations to enjoy. What a real tragedy it would be if the naturalists of the future couldn't see these green pin pricks of light, which have inspired poets through the centuries. We need more people out and about finding where glowworms are in the countryside, particularly as many people have never seen one. | Coppicing of ancient woodland is one such conservation practice that could help our glowworms survive for future generations to enjoy. What a real tragedy it would be if the naturalists of the future couldn't see these green pin pricks of light, which have inspired poets through the centuries. We need more people out and about finding where glowworms are in the countryside, particularly as many people have never seen one. |
| Finding them for the first time is one of nature's special treats. I urge people to visit the UK glowworm website (www.glowworms.org.uk) to get involved with the search for glowworms. Dr Tim Gardiner Manningtree, Essex | Finding them for the first time is one of nature's special treats. I urge people to visit the UK glowworm website (www.glowworms.org.uk) to get involved with the search for glowworms. Dr Tim Gardiner Manningtree, Essex |
| • Amid the many reasons given for the decline in our wildlife, Chris Packham does not mention predation by cats. A survey by the Mammal Society revealed a horrifying hit list. Extrapolating from this, the estimated 9 million cat population kills over 20 million birds, 5 million frogs and countless slowworms, lizards and snakes. It would help if cat owners kept their cats in during daylight hours and fitted them with electronic collar tags. John Butter Barnstaple, Devon | • Amid the many reasons given for the decline in our wildlife, Chris Packham does not mention predation by cats. A survey by the Mammal Society revealed a horrifying hit list. Extrapolating from this, the estimated 9 million cat population kills over 20 million birds, 5 million frogs and countless slowworms, lizards and snakes. It would help if cat owners kept their cats in during daylight hours and fitted them with electronic collar tags. John Butter Barnstaple, Devon |
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