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| Badger culling resumes for second year | Badger culling resumes for second year |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A second year of badger culling has begun in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset in a bid to tackle bovine TB. | A second year of badger culling has begun in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset in a bid to tackle bovine TB. |
| Last year, 1,800 badgers were killed in the pilot areas of west Gloucestershire and west Somerset. Just under 1,000 are due to be killed this year. | Last year, 1,800 badgers were killed in the pilot areas of west Gloucestershire and west Somerset. Just under 1,000 are due to be killed this year. |
| The government insists that culling is necessary but protesters argue shooting is not "effective or humane". | The government insists that culling is necessary but protesters argue shooting is not "effective or humane". |
| More than 26,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year because of the spread of TB. | More than 26,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year because of the spread of TB. |
| The four-year government-backed pilot aims to cull 70% of the initial population of badgers to test how effective, humane and safe a cull can be. | The four-year government-backed pilot aims to cull 70% of the initial population of badgers to test how effective, humane and safe a cull can be. |
| 'Sacked the referee' | 'Sacked the referee' |
| Ministers and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) believe culling badgers will curb TB in cattle. | |
| Andrew Guest, chairman of the NFU in Gloucestershire and spokesperson for GlosCon - the company carrying out the cull in the county - said if infected cattle are culled but badgers are not it was "leaving the circle open for re-infection again and again". | |
| Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss claimed the government's "comprehensive strategy" is supported by leading vets. | Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss claimed the government's "comprehensive strategy" is supported by leading vets. |
| But protesters are unhappy that independent monitoring has been dropped and attempted to have the cull halted at the High Court. | But protesters are unhappy that independent monitoring has been dropped and attempted to have the cull halted at the High Court. |
| The move was rejected by judges, after which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We have always been clear that the independent expert panel's role was to oversee the six-week pilots in the first year of the culls only. | The move was rejected by judges, after which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We have always been clear that the independent expert panel's role was to oversee the six-week pilots in the first year of the culls only. |
| "This year we have made changes to monitor effectiveness and humaneness and the culls will be independently audited." | "This year we have made changes to monitor effectiveness and humaneness and the culls will be independently audited." |
| Protesters, who have called for alternatives such as vaccination to be considered, said Defra has "sacked the referee". | Protesters, who have called for alternatives such as vaccination to be considered, said Defra has "sacked the referee". |