Originally from: brentns
                        

To: ...
Subject: [farmtalking] UK Badger Killings Analyzed by Expert
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 21:46:03 +0000 (GMT)

UK Badger Killings Analyzed by Expert at University of California

From – http://www.alphagalileo.org/

A UC Davis professor is co-author of a report made public today (Nov. 4)
in Great Britain that says the controversial practice of killing wild
badgers to prevent tuberculosis in cattle apparently does no good -- and
may make matters worse.

Rosie Woodroffe, UC Davis assistant professor of conservation biology, is
an authority on the biology of the European badger (Meles meles). The new
report, commissioned by the British Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra), is sure to be widely discussed in the UK,
particularly by farming interests and badger protectionists. Those groups
have battled for 30 years over the role that wild badgers may play as
reservoirs and vectors of bovine tuberculosis, which can be transmitted
through unpasteurized milk to people.

"In Britain, this is the largest wildlife controversy," Woodroffe said.
"It's a massive issue not only because this is a zoonotic disease -- one
that can spread from animals to humans -- but also because we just don't
have that much wildlife left in Britain, and badgers are amazingly
charismatic."

NEW EXPERT GROUP WILL DEVISE BADGER TB EXPERIMENT
5 February 1998

The group has been set up following recommendations made by Professor John Krebs in December 1997.
Responding to a written question in the House of Commons from Mr Huw Edwards MP (Monmouth), Agriculture Minister Dr Jack Cunningham said:
"I am pleased to be able to announce the membership of the independent Expert Group to oversee the experiment recommended in Professor Krebs' Report to assess the effectiveness of badger culling in reducing TB breakdowns in cattle herds. I am grateful to Professor John Bourne for agreeing to chair the Group and to Dr Christl Donnelly who will be Deputy Chairman. In addition, Sir David Cox, Professor George Gettinby, Professor Ivan Morrison and Dr Rosie Woodroffe have all kindly agreed to serve as members.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/newsrel/1998/980205d.htm

Wildlife Fish Conservation Biology, 754–9513
Ph.D. Oxford 1992
http://ecology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/faculty_W.htm#Rosie Woodroffe

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1999

PROFESSOR JOHN BOURNE, DR CHRISTL DONNELLY AND DR ROSIE WOODROFFE http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmagric/233/9021603.htm

Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on Cattle TB

It is, however, difficult to justify DEFRA’s claim that the ISG is in fact independent, when the appointments to the Group and payments to the members of the Group are controlled by DEFRA itself.
Information available from the relevant websites does not indicate who advised DEFRA on the appointment of members of the ISG. Such appointments are of importance as the programme
of the Group will involve substantial research funds. Were these research projects peer reviewed? Or were they essentially decided by peers within what seems to be a less than independent group? http://www.land-care.org.uk/tb/current_topics/2003/february2003/isg_27_02/isg_27_02.htm

The Krebs review
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/abouttb/atbkrebs.htm

Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
http://www.wildcru.org/home.htm
http://www.wildcru.org/people/pastmembers.htm

Five other experts were appointed to the Review Group, all academics. They were assisted by Dr Simon Frost and Dr Rosie Woodroffe, then from the Departments of Zoology at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. None of the group had direct veterinary experience. http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmagric/233/23305.htm

The badger-cattle controversy is similar to the fights between ranchers and
conservationists over wolf re-introductions in the U.S.

Rubbish.. it's not at all similar to wolf re-introduction..
Except that the Ecologists want to ram something down everyones elses throats.. that's what is similar..

The usual objections to wolf re-introduction are based on predation

and Canada, Woodroffe said. "You have one lot saying, 'This animal is affecting my livelihood,' and another lot saying, 'This animal is beautiful and shouldn't be killed.' "