Page 50 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

WILD NEWS

Campaigners, including
Tom Langdon (below), have
lost a High Court battle to
limit the badger cull.

BRITISH WILDLIFE Tom Langton: Patricia Phillips/Alamy; badgers: Calum Dickson/Alamy

Judicial reviews on badger cullingthrownout

Culling to go ahead as The Badger Crowd’s challenges fail to win over High Court judge.

ampaigners have failed to force the Regulations Assessments (HRAs) that Natural England has now changed
CGovernment to rethink its approach correctly – culling would have gone ahead. the way it carries out HRAs to license
to badger culling, after two judicial Dominic Woodfield, an environmental culling. “It arguably misled the judge in
reviews were turned down by the High consultant who provided testimony not disclosing they were in the process
Court. Environmental consultant Tom to support the case against Natural of amending their procedures to deal
Langton (below), backed by The Badger England, has written that the failure of with exactly the flaws we had identified.”
Crowd, challenged the Department for the challenges “sends an alarming signal In a statement given to BBC Wildlife,
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to government agencies that they can act Defra says: “Despite some issues with
(Defra) over supplementary culling, and with impunity, even when they are ‘found the Habitats Regulations Assessment
Natural England over how it considered out’”. While environmental lawyer Carol process, the court found that Natural
the impacts on other species Day believes Judicial Reviews England acted appropriately in the
when granting licences. are not an adequate mechanism granting of the licences as, based on
Despite not allowing either DID YOU for cases of this nature. “Judges the evidence presented, it would have
challenge to succeed, the judge KNOW? often don’t want to go beyond concluded that the granting of
Sir Ross Cranston found that Badgers occur at procedural issues into the the licences would not have
Natural England had breached significantly higher merits of the argument.” an adverse effect on the
European legislation by failing densities in Britain than The failure of the challenges sites in question.” JF
to consider the indirect impacts elsewhere in Europe, means culling has expanded to
of badger culling on protected and their numbers here 32 zones in 2018. An estimated FIND OUT MORE
areas and their wildlife. But have increased by more 42,000 badgers were due to be Bovine TB: authorisation
he accepted Natural England’s than 80 per cent over shot from September. Langton for badger control in 2018:
argument that – even had the past 30 years. is taking his case to the Court https://bit.ly/2xSg0f8
it carried out the Habitats of Appeal. He told BBC Wildlife

50 BBC Wildlife