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| Badger cull: government refuses to deny marksmen failing to meet target | Badger cull: government refuses to deny marksmen failing to meet target |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The government has refused to deny that less than 100 badgers have been killed in Somerset over two weeks, a figure that would mean marksmen had culled less than 5% of the badgers they must shoot in six weeks for the cull to be judged a success. | |
| Asked if a Weston-super-Mare dairy farmer's claim that fewer than 100 been killed so far was accurate, a spokesman at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), would not confirm or deny the figure. "We are not commenting on operational details," he said. | Asked if a Weston-super-Mare dairy farmer's claim that fewer than 100 been killed so far was accurate, a spokesman at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), would not confirm or deny the figure. "We are not commenting on operational details," he said. |
| A source told the Western Daily Press that more than 60 marksmen working in West Somerset, one of two pilot cull zones, were experiencing major problems. "Only three or four badgers are being shot every day," the source said. "It is just a case now of who gets the blame for the whole thing failing." | |
| Marksmen need to shoot 50 badgers each night to hit the target of killing a minimum of 2,081 badgers in the Somerset zone. If 70% of the estimated badger population is not dispatched in this way, the cull will be considered a failure by its own targets. | Marksmen need to shoot 50 badgers each night to hit the target of killing a minimum of 2,081 badgers in the Somerset zone. If 70% of the estimated badger population is not dispatched in this way, the cull will be considered a failure by its own targets. |
| In his only comments on the cull so far, Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, said earlier this month: "I understand the pilot cull is proceeding to plan and those involved are pleased with progress to date." | In his only comments on the cull so far, Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, said earlier this month: "I understand the pilot cull is proceeding to plan and those involved are pleased with progress to date." |
| Derek Mead, a dairy farmer from Weston-super-Mare, told the same paper: "I understand the West Somerset badger cull may be failing to meet its own target, despite Owen Paterson's assurances that the operation is proceeding according to plan. | Derek Mead, a dairy farmer from Weston-super-Mare, told the same paper: "I understand the West Somerset badger cull may be failing to meet its own target, despite Owen Paterson's assurances that the operation is proceeding according to plan. |
| "The information I have been given suggests that at the middle of last week, the number of badgers accounted for was still well below 100." | "The information I have been given suggests that at the middle of last week, the number of badgers accounted for was still well below 100." |
| Jay Tiernan of Stop the Cull said he was "flabbergasted" that so few badgers had been killed and called for the cull to be abandoned. | Jay Tiernan of Stop the Cull said he was "flabbergasted" that so few badgers had been killed and called for the cull to be abandoned. |
| "It's encouraging because we always thought the whole thing would be a farce but we didn't realise it would be this bad for them and they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the numbers," he said. "What are they hoping to achieve? The cull should be pulled." | "It's encouraging because we always thought the whole thing would be a farce but we didn't realise it would be this bad for them and they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the numbers," he said. "What are they hoping to achieve? The cull should be pulled." |
| Activists have struggled to find marksmen who are using night-vision equipment to track badgers and remained undetected but protesters believe that nocturnal "badger patrols" in the area have disrupted and deterred the gunmen. | Activists have struggled to find marksmen who are using night-vision equipment to track badgers and remained undetected but protesters believe that nocturnal "badger patrols" in the area have disrupted and deterred the gunmen. |
| Dry ground conditions have also forced badgers to roam further from their setts in search of food and activists believe the marksmen are unable to use fixed bait points as planned and are instead desperately searching hedgerows for lone badgers. | Dry ground conditions have also forced badgers to roam further from their setts in search of food and activists believe the marksmen are unable to use fixed bait points as planned and are instead desperately searching hedgerows for lone badgers. |
| According to Tiernan, anti-cull campaigners have just raised £10,000 to fund night-vision kit similar to that used by the marksmen. "With more equipment we expect to have a much higher effectiveness at stopping the cull," he said. | According to Tiernan, anti-cull campaigners have just raised £10,000 to fund night-vision kit similar to that used by the marksmen. "With more equipment we expect to have a much higher effectiveness at stopping the cull," he said. |
| Another farmer who lives in the Somerset cull zone told the Guardian he was not aware whether marksmen were being successful or not, but said: "The fact that the antis are roaming around in the dark isn't helping." | Another farmer who lives in the Somerset cull zone told the Guardian he was not aware whether marksmen were being successful or not, but said: "The fact that the antis are roaming around in the dark isn't helping." |
| Mead, an influential figure in the region, is in favour of gassing diseased badgers in their setts to control bovine TB in cattle, a technique which was scrapped by the government in 1982 after scientific experiments showed it was inhumane for badgers that received sub-lethal doses of the poison. | Mead, an influential figure in the region, is in favour of gassing diseased badgers in their setts to control bovine TB in cattle, a technique which was scrapped by the government in 1982 after scientific experiments showed it was inhumane for badgers that received sub-lethal doses of the poison. |
| The Somerset farmer in the cull zone echoed Mead's previous call for gassing to be adopted by the government. "It's far more sensible," he said. "You haven't got the disposal problems and if they can identify setts that are affected by bovine TB you're going to have less badgers to deal with." | The Somerset farmer in the cull zone echoed Mead's previous call for gassing to be adopted by the government. "It's far more sensible," he said. "You haven't got the disposal problems and if they can identify setts that are affected by bovine TB you're going to have less badgers to deal with." |