The Badger Cull in the South Hams has ended for this year, but of course we have three more years of this to endure, with a steady collapse of our ecosystems and employment from tourism. I shall deliver this petition to Natural England and the two South Hams MPs next week. Please get in touch if you would like to be there whenon the day. Thank you to everyone who signed this petition. I hope our MPs will take the time to read your comments and will act on the clear damage to the local ecology and economy their policy of wide spread badger killing is doing. In the meantime, I hope everyone in the South Hams can report any signs of wildlife crime against badgers in their area, as any shooting of badgers is now a criminal act until licences are granted next year. Gassing and poisoning are illegal all year. Without prosecutions for wildlife crime those who love killing will just carry on, so please, be vigilant for our badgers, and join South Hams Oppose the Badger Cull on Facebook too.
To: Andrew Sells (Chairman) and James Cross (Chief Executive) of Natural England
Cancel the roll out of the Badger Cull in South Devon.
I ask Natural England to immediately and permanently revoke all badger cull licences issued for the South Hams, on the grounds of public safety and of its economic impact on the region by deterring tourism.
Why is this important?
I am a wildlife sculptor with a studio in South Devon, which is also between two farms shooting badgers, less than two miles from the popular town of Totnes. Since the badger cull started here just three weeks ago, we have seen a huge dropping off of visitors, including during Devon Open Studios.
Licences have been issued to approximately 200 farms in the South Hams to shoot badgers between sundown and 12 noon, every day for a minimum of six weeks, during the region's busy tourism season. Unlike previous years, the farmers themselves are allowed to shoot badgers instead of using trained professionals. There are serious concerns over public safety with two of the five badger culling farms overlooking the busy town of Totnes having previously witnessed a fatal shooting and public order offences involving knives. In 2004 a 13 year old was shot dead in the fields of Lower Cholwell Farm, caused by a gunman failing to follow basic safety guidelines with a high-powered rifle.
Several of our busiest beaches are now directly below and well within stray-bullet range of badger culling farms, such as the popular Blackpool Sands, Slapton Ley Nature Reserve, Torcross, Bigbury, Bantham and Thurlstone Beaches. Meanwhile there are at least 5 badger shooting farms around Kingsbridge and the same around Totnes.
On Sunday 11th September shooting has been heard directly behind a popular Pub at the edge of Totnes, at 11pm when there were still people drinking outside admiring the view of the river Dart. Even those in Bridgetown are within 2 miles of shooting in Ashprington. If you truly wanted to be safe in Totnes there is nowhere to turn.
Official badger culls are also accompanied by a rise in illegal persecution and the South Hams is no exception. In 2013 holiday makers were horrified by the sight of a field strewn with the bodies of gassed badgers overlooking Blackpool sands. These had been paralyzed from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, and will have died a slow and painful death by starvation and thirst. On 11th September this year several poisoned badgers were discovered on Wall Park Road leading to the popular Berry Head Hotel and Country Park, again in clear view of visitors. Rolling out a badger cull here has given a green light to other forms of badger persecution, regardless of its impact on tourism.
Anyone who has spent any time at all in West Somerset during the badger culls, knows how toxic those tourist village names have become. I certainly shall never visit Exmoor again as there are things I witnessed there that I shall never forget. Just imagine what will happen if our tourist industry gets tarnished with being a region soaked in badger blood, with visitors afraid to walk the countryside for fear of a stray bullet, or of finding a shot, poisoned or gassed badger. As the tourism industry creates more income and more jobs than the hand full of farms taking part in the South Hams Badger Cull we should not have our jobs, our prosperity, and our personal security held to ransom by just 0.5% who are killing badgers.
Licences have been issued to approximately 200 farms in the South Hams to shoot badgers between sundown and 12 noon, every day for a minimum of six weeks, during the region's busy tourism season. Unlike previous years, the farmers themselves are allowed to shoot badgers instead of using trained professionals. There are serious concerns over public safety with two of the five badger culling farms overlooking the busy town of Totnes having previously witnessed a fatal shooting and public order offences involving knives. In 2004 a 13 year old was shot dead in the fields of Lower Cholwell Farm, caused by a gunman failing to follow basic safety guidelines with a high-powered rifle.
Several of our busiest beaches are now directly below and well within stray-bullet range of badger culling farms, such as the popular Blackpool Sands, Slapton Ley Nature Reserve, Torcross, Bigbury, Bantham and Thurlstone Beaches. Meanwhile there are at least 5 badger shooting farms around Kingsbridge and the same around Totnes.
On Sunday 11th September shooting has been heard directly behind a popular Pub at the edge of Totnes, at 11pm when there were still people drinking outside admiring the view of the river Dart. Even those in Bridgetown are within 2 miles of shooting in Ashprington. If you truly wanted to be safe in Totnes there is nowhere to turn.
Official badger culls are also accompanied by a rise in illegal persecution and the South Hams is no exception. In 2013 holiday makers were horrified by the sight of a field strewn with the bodies of gassed badgers overlooking Blackpool sands. These had been paralyzed from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, and will have died a slow and painful death by starvation and thirst. On 11th September this year several poisoned badgers were discovered on Wall Park Road leading to the popular Berry Head Hotel and Country Park, again in clear view of visitors. Rolling out a badger cull here has given a green light to other forms of badger persecution, regardless of its impact on tourism.
Anyone who has spent any time at all in West Somerset during the badger culls, knows how toxic those tourist village names have become. I certainly shall never visit Exmoor again as there are things I witnessed there that I shall never forget. Just imagine what will happen if our tourist industry gets tarnished with being a region soaked in badger blood, with visitors afraid to walk the countryside for fear of a stray bullet, or of finding a shot, poisoned or gassed badger. As the tourism industry creates more income and more jobs than the hand full of farms taking part in the South Hams Badger Cull we should not have our jobs, our prosperity, and our personal security held to ransom by just 0.5% who are killing badgers.
How it will be delivered
Email the signatures and comments to Natural England and deliver them in person to the South Devon MPs Garry Streeter and Sarah Wollaston with invited press.
