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Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

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In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Carbon dioxide threat to mussels’ shells Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




In a new paper published today in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels’ shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.

The world’s oceans are becoming increasingly acidic as they absorb some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.

The water reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which is gradually lowering the pH of the oceans (indicating an increase in acidity). Scientists expect the pH of the world’s oceans to have dropped from 8 today to 7.7 by the end of the 21st century.

“What we’ve found in the lab is that increased levels of acidification in their habitats have a negative impact on mussels’ ability to create their shells”, said research team leader Susan Fitzer of the University’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences.

As oceans get more acid, less bicarbonate for shell-making

Mussels’ shells are composites of calcium carbonate and organic material created by the mussels through a process known as biomineralisation.

Mussels draw bicarbonate ions from seawater and use proteins in their bodies to make crystals of calcium carbonate to form their two-layer shells. In more acidic water, there are less bicarbonate ions available for the mussels to make their shells.

“This could mean that mussels growing in the wild in the future could be more vulnerable to attack from predators, as well as from the effect of ocean forces”, explained Dr Fitzer.

“As blue mussels are commonly used for human consumption, it could also have an effect on the yields of mussels available for the fishing industry.”

The mussels do have way to resist the more acidic water once their shells have formed. Their shells’ outer later is composed of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate that is more resistant to acid decay. Only the inner layer is made of the more soluble aragonite.

But even that mechanism is under threat, says Dr Fitzer: “What we found was that the calcite outer shells of the mussels past a certain threshold of acidity was stiffer and harder, making it more brittle and prone to fracture under pressure, and the aragonite inner shell became softer.“

Ocean conditions replicated in the lab

The research, carried out with colleagues in our School of Engineering, was designed to examine the toughness of the shells of the mussels in the more acidic water against those in control conditions.

Common blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were housed in laboratory tanks. The researchers controlled and altered the temperature and CO2 levels of the water in the tanks to simulate four different types of ocean waters at CO2 levels projected to occur in the coming decades (380, 550, 750, 1000 ppm).

Ocean conditions were also simulated as closely as possible by changing light levels over time to mimic the changing of the seasons.

Another finding was that the impact of the increased acidity reduced as temperatures increased: “The effect on the mussels’ shells was reduced when the temperature of the water was increased by 2°C. This might suggest that the mussels are reverting to ancestral evolutionary mechanisms to mitigate the effects of increased acidity.”

Now the team is planning to extend its research to include other marine organisms, says Dr Fitzer: “We’re planning to continue our research in this area in the future and expand its scope to look at the effects of more acidic water on the shells of other marine organisms including oysters and abalone.”

 

 

The paper: ‘Ocean acidification alters the material properties of Mytilus edulis shells‘, is published in Interface.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust awarded to the research team including Professor Maggie Cusack, Dr Nick Kamenos and Dr Vernon Phoenix.

 

 




388396

Commission dumps eco-initiatives in 2015 work plan Updated for 2026

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The European Commission today decided to delay vital action plans on tackling air pollution and using precious resources more carefully.

The changes are based on its Regulatory Fitness Programme, it said, “which seeks to cut red tape and remove regulatory burdens, contributing to an environment conducive to investment.”

President Jean-Claude Juncker explained: “We are committed to driving change and to leading an EU that is bigger and more ambitious on big things, and smaller and more modest on small things.”

And the environment, it seems, is one of the “small things” that can be shuffled off for another day – even though the proposed National Emissions Ceilings Directive (NEC Directive) would save an estimated 58,000 lives and €40 Billion per year.

Soon, a decade of delays – while people die

The air quality plans would return at a later date “as part of the legislative follow-up to the 2030 Energy and Climate Package”, insisted the Commission.

But this is only adding delay to delay – the NEC Directive was originally expected in 2005 but then delayed because of the 2008 Climate and Energy Package, and did not appear until 2013. Now ClientEarth lawyer Alan Andrews fears a further delay of several years:

“It looks like Juncker has kicked this into the long grass. This proposal is already nearly ten years overdue – we can’t afford to wait another ten. Further delay will mean more people will die or be made seriously ill from heart attacks, strokes, cancer and asthma.

“The UK government views environmental regulation as ‘red tape’ so has stood quietly by and let this happen. British MEPs of all political stripes have played a leading role in opposing Juncker’s plans to scrap the proposal – it’s time the government showed similar leadership.”

Friends of the Earth Director Andy Atkins agrees: “These crucial plans should have been fast-tracked, not parked. Tens of thousands of people in Britain alone die prematurely each year from air pollution. Delaying the action that is desperately required will cost yet more lives.”

Europe claims a proud history of protecting our health and environment, he added, “but recent decisions have put a huge dent in its green reputation.”

Also dropped was a proposal to designate the heavily polluted Baltic Sea as a ‘Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Control Area’ on the grounds that “no foreseeeable agreement” would be reached.

Circular economy package – in a permanent loop?

Another major caualty is the ‘Circular Economy Package’ which would reduce waste by encouraging better design, re-use and recycling.

The Commission says that a “new, more ambitious proposal” on resource use would be submitted in 2015, while the driving rationale for its changes to the work programme is to focus all energies on “jobs, growth and investment”.

However a letter from Ikea, Unilever, M&S, Kingfisher, and manufacturers’ association EEF opposing the Commission’s plans to ditch the package was published in the Daily Telegraph today.

The package, they wrote, “offers huge potential for job creation, resource security, environmental protection and economic growth in Britain and the rest of Europe and abandoning it would be short-sighted.

“There is a great deal of support for the package from many sectors, and the World Economic Forum has suggested that developing the circular economy would save $1 trillion a year.”

According to the Impact Assessment of the Circular Economy Package, its full implentation – including an EU-wide increase in recycling rates to 70% – would create 580,000 new jobs.

Eleven member states plead to retain the package

The UK industrialists’ letter urged UK ministers to “send a clear message to Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the Commission, that the programme must be retained to protect the continent’s environment, economy and competitiveness in the long term.”

But their voice was not heard in government. The Commission’s decision was taken despite 11 member states urging it not to withdraw the proposal – but the UK was not among them. “The silence from the UK government has been deafening”, says Atkins.

Finally UK environment minister Dan Rogerson said this morning that the government supports the NEC Directive on air quality – but believes amendments are needed to make the 2030 targets “realistic”.

 

 

Oliver Tickell edits The Ecologist.

 

 




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Badger cubs to be shot in new ‘summer cull’ plan Updated for 2026

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Badger cubs will be shot under plans to shift the controversial cull to early summer in 2015, the Guardian has learned.

The badger culls, aimed at curbing tuberculosis in cattle, have so far taken place in the autumn and have repeatedly missed their minimum kill targets.

Cubs are easier to catch and shoot and are more numerous in early summer, making it more likely an earlier cull will hit its target.

But scientists have warned killing cubs rather than adults has less effect on cutting TB, while animal campaigners condemned the plan as “appallingly crude and desperate”.

The National Farmers Union (NFU), which speaks for the culling companies, said government licences permit culling to begin any time from June. The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the timing of the culls was a decision for the culling companies.

Summer cull to begin as early as June 2015

Badger cubs are born underground in February and first emerge in April. While the cubs and their parents legally cannot be culled until the start of June, it is legal to shoot them under licence afterwards.

The cullers intend to start in June or July 2015, according to Guardian sources. However, leading badger expert Professor Rosie Woodroffe, at the Zoological Society of London, said:

“They may well catch more badgers if they cull in June, because young cubs are naïve and easy to trap. But many of cubs die in their first year, especially in dry summers. So killing 100 badgers in June wouldn’t reduce the badger population as much as killing 100 badgers in November.

“Also, cubs are much less likely to have TB, so killing cubs would not have the same effect on reducing disease as killing adults.”

Woodroffe was a key member of an earlier landmark and decade-long culling trial which found that TB in cattle could actually be made worse if the badger population was not heavily reduced, as surviving but disturbed badgers spread the disease more widely.

“An earlier cull would seem to be more about trying to achieve a target number of badgers killed, rather than controlling TB. It’s more like meeting the letter of the law, rather than the spirit”, said Woodroffe.

She believes the cull pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire, judged in April not to be effective or humane, should stop immediately.

NFU: the cull must go on

The NFU disagrees. “The NFU remains convinced the current pilot culls will help deliver a reduction of TB in cattle and it is vital that they are allowed to be successfully completed so they can achieve the maximum benefit”, said a spokesman.

“We also remain committed to seeing badger culling rolled out to other areas where TB is endemic to help control and eradicate this terrible disease, which continues to devastate the lives of farming families.”

The Conservatives are understood to want a roll-out, but have been opposed by their LibDem coalition partners. The NFU spokesman added:

“The terms of the existing four-year licences mean that culling can begin from 1 June. This has always been the case. We are not aware that any decision has been made as yet about the timings of next year’s cull.”

Claire Bass, executive director of the Humane Society International / UK said: “If true, an earlier cull would be an appallingly crude and desperate tactic to boost the number of badgers killed to create a veneer of success in an otherwise failed and discredited badger cull policy.

“Not only is it a moral outrage to allow marksmen to take pot shots at baby badgers simply to provide a larger body count, but it makes even less scientific sense than the current strategy, as the likelihood of cubs carrying the disease is even lower than adults.”

The earlier landmark culling trial found 12% of adult badgers had TB but only 8% of cubs.

A Defra spokesman said: “England has the highest levels of bovine TB in Europe which is why we are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to make England free of the disease, including cattle measures, vaccinations and culling badgers where TB is rife.

“The licences in Somerset and Gloucestershire allow culling to commence any time from 1 June, which was based on the advice of wildlife experts.”

 

 

Damian Carrington is the head of environment at the Guardian.

This article originally appeared on the Guardian. It is republished with thanks via the Guardian Environment Network.

 




388016

Badger cubs to be shot in new ‘summer cull’ plan Updated for 2026

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Badger cubs will be shot under plans to shift the controversial cull to early summer in 2015, the Guardian has learned.

The badger culls, aimed at curbing tuberculosis in cattle, have so far taken place in the autumn and have repeatedly missed their minimum kill targets.

Cubs are easier to catch and shoot and are more numerous in early summer, making it more likely an earlier cull will hit its target.

But scientists have warned killing cubs rather than adults has less effect on cutting TB, while animal campaigners condemned the plan as “appallingly crude and desperate”.

The National Farmers Union (NFU), which speaks for the culling companies, said government licences permit culling to begin any time from June. The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the timing of the culls was a decision for the culling companies.

Summer cull to begin as early as June 2015

Badger cubs are born underground in February and first emerge in April. While the cubs and their parents legally cannot be culled until the start of June, it is legal to shoot them under licence afterwards.

The cullers intend to start in June or July 2015, according to Guardian sources. However, leading badger expert Professor Rosie Woodroffe, at the Zoological Society of London, said:

“They may well catch more badgers if they cull in June, because young cubs are naïve and easy to trap. But many of cubs die in their first year, especially in dry summers. So killing 100 badgers in June wouldn’t reduce the badger population as much as killing 100 badgers in November.

“Also, cubs are much less likely to have TB, so killing cubs would not have the same effect on reducing disease as killing adults.”

Woodroffe was a key member of an earlier landmark and decade-long culling trial which found that TB in cattle could actually be made worse if the badger population was not heavily reduced, as surviving but disturbed badgers spread the disease more widely.

“An earlier cull would seem to be more about trying to achieve a target number of badgers killed, rather than controlling TB. It’s more like meeting the letter of the law, rather than the spirit”, said Woodroffe.

She believes the cull pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire, judged in April not to be effective or humane, should stop immediately.

NFU: the cull must go on

The NFU disagrees. “The NFU remains convinced the current pilot culls will help deliver a reduction of TB in cattle and it is vital that they are allowed to be successfully completed so they can achieve the maximum benefit”, said a spokesman.

“We also remain committed to seeing badger culling rolled out to other areas where TB is endemic to help control and eradicate this terrible disease, which continues to devastate the lives of farming families.”

The Conservatives are understood to want a roll-out, but have been opposed by their LibDem coalition partners. The NFU spokesman added:

“The terms of the existing four-year licences mean that culling can begin from 1 June. This has always been the case. We are not aware that any decision has been made as yet about the timings of next year’s cull.”

Claire Bass, executive director of the Humane Society International / UK said: “If true, an earlier cull would be an appallingly crude and desperate tactic to boost the number of badgers killed to create a veneer of success in an otherwise failed and discredited badger cull policy.

“Not only is it a moral outrage to allow marksmen to take pot shots at baby badgers simply to provide a larger body count, but it makes even less scientific sense than the current strategy, as the likelihood of cubs carrying the disease is even lower than adults.”

The earlier landmark culling trial found 12% of adult badgers had TB but only 8% of cubs.

A Defra spokesman said: “England has the highest levels of bovine TB in Europe which is why we are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to make England free of the disease, including cattle measures, vaccinations and culling badgers where TB is rife.

“The licences in Somerset and Gloucestershire allow culling to commence any time from 1 June, which was based on the advice of wildlife experts.”

 

 

Damian Carrington is the head of environment at the Guardian.

This article originally appeared on the Guardian. It is republished with thanks via the Guardian Environment Network.

 




388016

Badger cubs to be shot in new ‘summer cull’ plan Updated for 2026

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Badger cubs will be shot under plans to shift the controversial cull to early summer in 2015, the Guardian has learned.

The badger culls, aimed at curbing tuberculosis in cattle, have so far taken place in the autumn and have repeatedly missed their minimum kill targets.

Cubs are easier to catch and shoot and are more numerous in early summer, making it more likely an earlier cull will hit its target.

But scientists have warned killing cubs rather than adults has less effect on cutting TB, while animal campaigners condemned the plan as “appallingly crude and desperate”.

The National Farmers Union (NFU), which speaks for the culling companies, said government licences permit culling to begin any time from June. The Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the timing of the culls was a decision for the culling companies.

Summer cull to begin as early as June 2015

Badger cubs are born underground in February and first emerge in April. While the cubs and their parents legally cannot be culled until the start of June, it is legal to shoot them under licence afterwards.

The cullers intend to start in June or July 2015, according to Guardian sources. However, leading badger expert Professor Rosie Woodroffe, at the Zoological Society of London, said:

“They may well catch more badgers if they cull in June, because young cubs are naïve and easy to trap. But many of cubs die in their first year, especially in dry summers. So killing 100 badgers in June wouldn’t reduce the badger population as much as killing 100 badgers in November.

“Also, cubs are much less likely to have TB, so killing cubs would not have the same effect on reducing disease as killing adults.”

Woodroffe was a key member of an earlier landmark and decade-long culling trial which found that TB in cattle could actually be made worse if the badger population was not heavily reduced, as surviving but disturbed badgers spread the disease more widely.

“An earlier cull would seem to be more about trying to achieve a target number of badgers killed, rather than controlling TB. It’s more like meeting the letter of the law, rather than the spirit”, said Woodroffe.

She believes the cull pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire, judged in April not to be effective or humane, should stop immediately.

NFU: the cull must go on

The NFU disagrees. “The NFU remains convinced the current pilot culls will help deliver a reduction of TB in cattle and it is vital that they are allowed to be successfully completed so they can achieve the maximum benefit”, said a spokesman.

“We also remain committed to seeing badger culling rolled out to other areas where TB is endemic to help control and eradicate this terrible disease, which continues to devastate the lives of farming families.”

The Conservatives are understood to want a roll-out, but have been opposed by their LibDem coalition partners. The NFU spokesman added:

“The terms of the existing four-year licences mean that culling can begin from 1 June. This has always been the case. We are not aware that any decision has been made as yet about the timings of next year’s cull.”

Claire Bass, executive director of the Humane Society International / UK said: “If true, an earlier cull would be an appallingly crude and desperate tactic to boost the number of badgers killed to create a veneer of success in an otherwise failed and discredited badger cull policy.

“Not only is it a moral outrage to allow marksmen to take pot shots at baby badgers simply to provide a larger body count, but it makes even less scientific sense than the current strategy, as the likelihood of cubs carrying the disease is even lower than adults.”

The earlier landmark culling trial found 12% of adult badgers had TB but only 8% of cubs.

A Defra spokesman said: “England has the highest levels of bovine TB in Europe which is why we are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to make England free of the disease, including cattle measures, vaccinations and culling badgers where TB is rife.

“The licences in Somerset and Gloucestershire allow culling to commence any time from 1 June, which was based on the advice of wildlife experts.”

 

 

Damian Carrington is the head of environment at the Guardian.

This article originally appeared on the Guardian. It is republished with thanks via the Guardian Environment Network.

 




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