To Cull or not to cull.

[bigroomboy]

I have no problems with culling of any animals if it serves a purpose. But if the only study conducted suggests a cull would make it worse then why would you possible consider doing it based on popular hearsay that says the opposite! I'm greatly in favor of a cull of the Scottish midge or the giant mossies that feasted on my legs the other week. As for sport angling, its so heavily controlled these days I think of it just like farming, many of the fish wouldn't even be there if they were not added by local angling clubs.

 

[santaman2000]

I do oppose sport angling,especially those arrogant twits with poles, waste of time effort and money, also a hindrance to any other water users, fish to eat

Don't your sport anglers eat their catch?

 

[santaman2000]

I remember watching something on the box an age ago about different grass species and and different wear and destruction rate under hoof. Basically sewing a good cross of grass and weed species so that i can stand up to the hoof wear of all or most of the years grazing. This removed the need to keep them indoors for half the year. It was a fathers work passed onto his daughter if i remember rightly......

Protecting the grass isn't the primary reason for confining cattle. Rather their confined when you want to purge the grass from their systems with grain to enhance taste, such as a few weeks before slaughter or while milking.

 

[shaggystu]

Don't your sport anglers eat their catch?

the majority of sport fishing in the uk is for carp, it makes the national press when the big ones die, so eating them would probably get you strung up, it's a strange world that we live in

cheers

stuart

 

[hog]

To cull healthy Badgers is bizzare and in my eyes a crime, Ive never even seen one and now they have declared open season on them.
Yes the Tories have the farm vote (on the whole) and Cameron will be needing that come next election.
So they cull a percentage of badgers, some with TB others without and then what....the TB is still present, its a no brainer.
Just a knee jerk rection to apease the farmers I dare say.

 

[santaman2000]

To cull healthy Badgers is bizzare and in my eyes a crime, Ive never even seen one and now they have declared open season on them.
Yes the Tories have the farm vote (on the whole) and Cameron will be needing that come next election.
So they cull a percentage of badgers, some with TB others without and then what....the TB is still present, its a no brainer.
Just a knee jerk rection to apease the farmers I dare say.

Perhaps. But anyone speaking ill of farmers should probably remember their manners and not talk with their mouth full.

 

[British Red]

Plus I was fairly sure we had a no politics rule on this forum

 

[santaman2000]

the majority of sport fishing in the uk is for carp, it makes the national press when the big ones die, so eating them would probably get you strung up, it's a strange world that we live in

cheers

stuart

Thanks. Now I understand. I'm used to carp being considerred trash fish and few if any fishermen targeting them. Although those who do swear by the taste.

 

[andybysea]

Im a no vote to the cull.

 

[EdS]

as has been said cullnig will only result other badgers moving in, potentially increasing the problem. The fluffy bunny slant has to be considered by farmers.

There is already talk of a campaign to bouycot British dairy products if the cull goes ahead on a big scale - that really could be the final nail in the coffin of many dairy farmers. It is mainly a problem wit hdairy herds.

 

[British Red]

I suspect thats the real motive of many, to finish off the farmers Ed - enough people even on here seem to resent them and their hard work. We import a vast amount of milk already since the demand for cheaper and cheaper food has broken a huge number of dairy herds - its funny how people will beomoan UK farming and happily buy their food from countries with lower welfare standards

I wonder how many who object to the farmers taking whatever measures they can (however deparate) would be willing to pay more tax to compensate them at a better rate for TB predation.

Its easy to blame someone else without contributing a solution

 

[bigroomboy]

Red, I am absolutely in support of British farmers but that doesn't mean they always know what is best for the eco system they work within. I'm saying the money being thrown blindly at culling badgers should probably be used to research a solution that might actually work. Obviously boycotting UK farming products is not the answer.

 

[British Red]

I agree bigroomboy - but I also think farmers should be properly compensated until a better solution is found

 

[bigroomboy]

Absolutely

 

[Retired Member southey]

I dont think the cull is the answer, I do know that we get our food at a price that cripples the farming industry in this country, but to sort it we would need to, in my mind, have a work force who want to get out and work for a wage that can support the price food should be at its like fuel, I don't see it as being expensive, look at what goes into getting to little pump you interact with, increasing the income of those who work the and should be the way

 

[Thoth]

I don't mind admitting that I like badgers (and I like cows and eating cows and drinking milk, eating cheese etc.) but I don't think that a cull of badgers will do much to solve the TB problem. I don't want to see farmers go bust any more than I want to see badgers culled. I can't help thinking that the vaccination of cattle is the way forwards and that a badger cull is a sop to demonstrate government action. More resources directed at solving the issue of a viable vaccine for cattle would gain my support. I don't object to culling deer to control numbers, but we generally get to eat the deer; maybe we should eat the culled badgers? Can't see that winning me any friends though!

 

[santaman2000]

....I don't object to culling deer to control numbers, but we generally get to eat the deer; maybe we should eat the culled badgers? Can't see that winning me any friends though!

I was thinking of badger furs.

 

[EdS]

I agree bigroomboy - but I also think farmers should be properly compensated until a better solution is found

Should they?

As much as I don't want the farming / shooting industry to collapse (other wise friends loose jobs) its a strange thing that one of teh groups with the biggest support for the party of free market economics and freedom from state red tape - are one of the first to want state compensation and intervention when it isn't going their way.

If the majority of GB public don't want a cull (do they or on't they I don't know) farmers should live with that. They maybe the "custodians of the coutnryside" but it is majority of the UK's urban population that are their market and pay to keep them in realtively nice lifestyle and certain nice locations -- beats the hell out of inner city Bradford for a start. And in a free market it is the buyer that controls the actions of the supplier. Especially when their taxes are factored in.

 

[fishfish]

I haven't seen a "save the pigeon" campaign.

now youve done it!okenest:

 

[British Red]

Should they?

As much as I don't want the farming / shooting industry to collapse (other wise friends loose jobs) its a strange thing that one of teh groups with the biggest support for the party of free market economics and freedom from state red tape - .

Its the red tape that stops them culling badgers. Take away all the red tape and let them do whatever they like on their own land to protect their livelihood. Simple.

If people want to preserve badgers, then those same people can pay compensation for the damage they cause. Still simple.

If you must have red tape - at least make people pay for their indulgences - or they could just keep out of farmers business if they aren't prepared to pay for the red tape they choose to impose.

If you want a free market - have one. Free means free. Lets see how many people will pay extra for "badger friendly milk" - let the consumers vote with their wallets