Betws-y-Coed protestors oppose badger cull

Jan 8 2009 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

Latest on badger cull petition

ANIMAL campaigners were out in force at the weekend hunting for more signatures against the Welsh Assembly’s proposed badger cull.

Protesters Emma Thomas, Judi Hewitt and Ruth Goldberg were in Betws-y-Coed on Sunday picketing visitors and locals.

“We now have around 3,000 signatures,” said Judi. “The deadline for this petition is the end of January, when we hope to hand this to the Welsh Assembly.

“They are being very secretive about when and where the killing of badgers will take place. This is very undemocratic and flies in the face of public opinion. If our petition is anything to go by the majority of the public opposes a cull.

“We simply want Welsh AMs to look at the scientific 10-year study that costs in excess of £50 million and cost the lives of over 22,000 badgers, only to prove killing them would make no meaningful contribution to the effects of TB in cattle in the long term.

“Countless badgers and their cubs are going to die if our demands for an end to a cull are not successful. If the worst happens, it will be a sad indictment on the human race and future generations will curse this Assembly for failing to protect an animal that will have become a scapegoat for farmers’ failings.

“Rumour has it the cull will not legally start until spring, and this is why we have extended our petition to carry to the end of January. Our hope is to meet with AMs from across North Wales and hand over our petition on behalf of the public, who are demanding protection for Wales’s badgers.”