There is a real chance that Derbyshire could be included for the first time. If this happens the badger cull will begin in our county at the start of September 2019.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is asking people to urgently write to their MP and support their work to keep a controversial badger cull out of Derbyshire.
Over the last six years, over 100 volunteers from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have run the UK’s largest vaccination programme across the county in a bid to stop the spread of Bovine TB and the cull coming here. The Trust works with a number of partners and landowners with plans to expand the vaccination area wider.
Tim Birch at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said; “Despite the Trust’s successful vaccination programme, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have listed the county for the cull expansion this year. That means the badger cull could come here as soon as early September. We’re deeply concerned that this could result in the deaths of thousands of healthy badgers including ones that have been vaccinated – it would cause significant disruption to our ongoing badger vaccination programme. Our work is widely supported and has had £280,000 worth of Government funding and studies show no evidence of widespread Bovine TB in Derbyshire’s badgers. Our dedicated team will continue vaccinations despite the potential arrival of a cull to look after this iconic and protected British species.”
The Trust needs your support now and are asking people to write to their MP before the 23rd August.