7,000 Irish badgers exterminated on the end of a wire noose.

national | animal rights | press release Thursday November 05, 2009 16:15 by Bernie Barrett - Badgerwatch Ireland barrettb at gofree dot indigo dot ie 051373876 or 087-9394096

Badger slaughter continues

Badgerwatch (Ireland) is calling on Environment Minister, Mr. John Gormley, for an immediate halt to the killing of badgers for their alleged role in the spread of bovine TB.

Latest figures released by the Department of Agriculture (DAFF) shows that almost 7,000 badgers were slaughtered by Department trappers in 2008.

Ironically, close on 30,000 ’reactor’ cattle failed to pass the TB skin test for the same period indicating a rise in TB levels over the previous six years.

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In the last decade more than 50,000 badgers have been killed by DAFF in what has been described as "Slaughter masquerading as Science".

Bernie Barrett, National Co-ordinator, Badgerwatch (Ireland) expressed horror at these latest figures. She said that “This appalling slaughter of almost 7,000 badgers is simply unacceptable. It is a nothing less then a state approved brutal pogrom against badgers.”

Badgerwatch (Ireland) is calling on Minister Gormley, whose own Department issues the licence to snare and kill badgers, to honour his commitment to the animal.

Failure to act will result in further slaughter and serious decimation of the
badger population already under threat from other sources.
End

Further information:
Bernadette Barrett, National Co-ordinator Badgerwatch (Ireland)
T: 051-373876/MB: 087-9394096

barrettb@gofree.indigo.ie

Information:
Badgerwatch (Ireland) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to Badgers
We are actively involved in Badger conservation and badger welfare issues. W: www.badgerwatch.ie