Friday, August 19, 2005

1 down, 56 percent to go...

In our Parliamentary questions on the 'efficiency' or otherwise of cage trapping, Minister Ben Bradshaw gave the astonishing answer that of traps used in the RBCT, a staggering 57 percent had been 'interfered with', and 12 per cent were 'missing'.

So nearly 70 percent of the target traps had not caught anything.

Before the 'trial' started farmers and other scientists (notably Prof. Stephen Harris) warned of the effect of the RBCT's high profile, and suggested the predictable result would be 'polarised opinions' and violence.

Western Morning News reported today the outcome of one such confrontation. The farmer had pulled out from the RBCT after suffering damage, intimidation and trespass on a 500 acre area and had erected signs to that effect. The ability to read the notice obviously had little effect on animal activists, who cut wire fences and allowed 30 cattle to stray from the farm.

One such individual, having been convicted last year of similar criminal damage to badger traps, failed to appear in court at Liskeard to face charges related to this farm.

That's 1 percent of the criminal damage incurred to traps in this farce of a 'trial'. What about the cost of the other 56 percent?

Full story at:Western Morning News

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is terrorism, of course. The serious effects on those targeted should not be underestimated. Damage to the trial in the long term could cost us all – as farmers and tax payers.