My "camp" has always been clear. I am in favour of any cull that may be beneficial to this country's environment, agricultural structure, or the benefit of the farming economy.

It is absolutely INSANE to suggest any sort of prevention where firearms are present, ludicrous and incredibly irresponsible. I still cannot believe the thought even entered your head Nikki, I really can't. I thought more of you. The seriously injured Badgers would only be present if idiots tried to stop marksmen doing their job correctly.

No-one with an ounce of commonsense could be in favour of a cull Dawn. Why? Simply because it won't work - it is impossible to eradicate every single badger from any one area. If you don't, then the survivors will migrate away from that area, carrying TB with them. The cull is planned to only destroy 70% of the badger population in the given area. Ipso facto, the planned cull is flawed and makes no scientific sense.

To come on to your point about badgers being seriously injured ... this will happen anyway. However brilliant the marksmen are, there will still be casualties who will escape underground, to die slow, painful and lingering deaths. Carefully placed saboteurs with high-powered torches will prevent the guns pulling the trigger in the first place - assuming that the guns really ARE highly trained marksmen and not just misguided local farmers, no triggers will be pulled unless a target can be very clearly seen.

Sorry Dawn, your arguments just do not stack up.

Thank you for that. Im pleased the cull is going ahead, only then will we know what the outcome will be. My arguments stand. People come before animals, period!

After doing some research on the subject(actually ashamed of my ignorance) There is so much proven scientific evidence in support of badgers. Am actually horrified.In Ireland were I'm from badgers have been culled to the brink of extinction and yet the Btb rates in cattle are twice as high!

From recall when living in the west country some 15 yrs ago all the data regarding badgers was flawed coz the farmers kept killing them anyway even in the control zones where they were supposed to be left alone so comparisons could be made.

My view is, whatever the govt decide farmers will kill them because they are convinced they spread TB.

Fail to see why this is an argument in this case tbh.
Cattle/badger strains of TB do not affect humans, and I'm pretty sure no person ever died by not eating beef or dairy.

There is no evidence that culling will make any difference, it's just a blood thirsty tory government stuck in the past!!

Plenty of bovine TB on the Isle of Man where there are no badgers

According to data culling is working in southen Ireland , there was a farmer on TV this morning and his experience disputes your theory NIkki . according to his research BTB is falling due to their badger cull.

On your note on blinding marksmen with flashlights to stop them doing their job NIkki I'm amazed you would actually suggest people put themselves in such danger...

LOL!!
Its about humans NOT animals. They are doing harm, in vast increasing numbers. They NEED to be culled because of the spread of disease. Thats enough for me. But of course if it doesnt affect you, I accept that pleading ignorance or the fact that fluffy animals shouldnt be controlled will be higher on your list than the UK economy, peoples livelihood and the welfare of our countryside.

Wonder where their stock come from??