A number of celebrities, politicians, animal welfare NGO representatives and campaigners today showed their support for the Humane Society International UK (HSI UK), which submitted a formal complaint to the Bern Convention over the government’s plans to carry out badger culls in England later in the year.

The group, which included conservationist and TV presenter Bill Oddie and Shadow Environment Minister Mary Creagh, gathered at Westminster this morning to show their support for HIS UK, which claims the proposed culling would violate the treaty, which was set up to protect wild species. Defra, backed by industry organisations, claims culling forms an essential part of its strategy for combating bovine TB.

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Detractors have also suggested that killing badgers will leave farmers out of pocket even if they achieve the desired 12-16 per cent reduction in bovine TB promised by Defra and ‘free-shooting’ is found to be effective. If it is found to be inhumane or ineffective in trial culls over areas selected for suitability by Defra, farmers will have to resort to ‘trap and shoot’, which is much more expensive, for the rest of their four year contract.  

A number of influential scientists, including Lord Krebs, who oversaw the 1997 randomised badger culling trial, on which Defra has based much of its evidence, have come forward to suggest the policy would be ineffective, and that stricter cattle controls would be much more effective.     

According to HIS UK, which has support from a range of animal welfare and wildlife charities, the pilot culls would breach the Bern convention on the grounds that they lack legitimate purpose, pose a threat to local badger populations, numbers of which are still unknown, and that there are viable alternatives to killing wildlife which have not yet been adequately explored.

Speaking in advance of the event at Westminster, Bill Oddie said, "There is an appalling bloody-minded arrogance about the Government’s decision. Opposition to the cull is not based on sentimentality, but on the fact that a great deal of thorough research suggests that it won’t work.

"What is the point of research and consultation when the conclusions are ignored? It implies 'we don't care what you say, we will do what we want'. This is reprehensible enough in itself, but when it involves the death of large numbers of much-loved wild animals, it is doubly objectionable."

A Defra spokesperson said that "Nobody wants to cull badgers" but that vaccines are still years away and the disease risks costing taxpayers £1 billion over the next decade. The government made cuts to the vaccine programme on coming to power in 2010.

The spokesperson was unable to comment on the value badgers contribute as an ecosystem service through controlling numbers of pests including rodents and insects and through cultural importance or on the effect an estimated 70 per cent reduction in numbers would have on the local environment.

Trial culls are set to go ahead in West Somerset and West Gloucestershire in the autumn.

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