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Wildlife / Badger Campaign

A strong case exists for making severe wildlife crime a notifiable offence

Main aims of the Naturewatch Badger Campaign:

To see Badger Crime made a notifiable offence for
the purpose of inclusion in offical crime statistics;
To strengthen the enforcement of the Protection
of Badgers Act 1992, thereby ensuring proactive measures can be taken by the police against
those suspected of offences;
To see a full-time wildlife crime officer (WLCO) appointed to all police forces and for part-time WLCO's to be be given a specific time allocation
and budget.

2008 – Steve Clark and Mike Edwards from the Gwent Badger Group were very quick to offer their help towards our badger campaign last November. They make wonderful ‘badgers’ and they certainly helped to raise the awareness we were aiming for.

Unfortunately they’ve had a very busy start to the year as two badger setts in the Gwent area in South Wales were dug over the holiday period. Click here to read about a sett that was destroyed on New Year’s Eve.

2007 – On 29th October Naturewatch and Crimestoppers joined forces to tackle the issue of badger baiting / digging in the Cynon Valley in South Wales. As a result Crimestoppers has received a fantastic amount of good quality calls relating to badger crime, which the South Wales Police and National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit are currently investigating.

Early next year Naturewatch will meet with the Home Office Minister to discuss the results of the campaign, with the aim of making badger crime a notifiable offence, thereby ensuring it receives the police priority and resources it deserves.

Campaign’s media support:

Martin Thomas, Crimestoppers, launched a Crimestoppers appeal on ITV on Sunday 29th October.
BBC Radio Wales discussed our campaign on the Richard Evans show on 1st November, including interviews and a phone in with Sgt Ian Guildford and the RSPCA’s Ian Briggs.
BBC Wales support the badger campaign, by publishing 2 on-line articles: article 1 and article 2.
The Cynon Valley Leader (local newspaper) also reported our story, making front page news! Click here to read.
In February 2008 our campaign is still being reported upon in the local newspaper. Click here to read.

To go to the campaign's own external web site, please click here.

WARNING - this section does contain images that may shock. If the law on badger protection was working, they would never have been taken. Please view with caution.

Celebrities pledge their support for our campaign

Flaws in current legislation.

What is Badger Crime?

What is Wildlife Crime? [PDF document]

How you can help badgers

Case study: Water vole habitat threatened by Boston developer

Links and References

HISTORY OF WILDLIFE / BADGER CAMPAIGN

1996
Badger Project in West Wales

2003
Badger Campaign Briefing Document prepared for Naturewatch's meeting with the Home Office (Sept.) regarding making Badger Digging / Baiting a notifiable offence.[PDF]

2004
Meeting with DEFRA to discuss the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (April).

Government Select Committee, Environmental Crime: Wildlife Crime Report is published. (Sept.) Commons committee effectively endorses all our recommendations.

2005
Government response to the Select Committee's Wildlife Crime Report fails wildlife. (March)

Naturewatch's Survey to Police Wildlife Crime Officers.

2006
Early Day Motion - Wildlife Crime not given sufficient priority. Read the briefing sent to MPs

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