Shropshire Wildlife Trust welcomes badger cull delay
The Shropshire Wildlife Trust has welcomed the Government’s decision to delay the proposed badger cull until next summer, though The Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson says that he remains utterly convinced that culling is the right thing do to.
Serious doubts about the effectiveness of a cull to control bovine TB have been raised by many leading scientists. The cost of the operation is also undermining the viability of the strategy.
"Shropshire Wildlife Trust will continue to argue for a disease strategy based on good science," said Helen Trotman, People & Wildlife Manager for the Trust, who has pioneered a badger vaccination scheme on the Shropshire/Cheshire border this autumn. "This ingredient is clearly lacking in the culling plan, which would almost certainly lead to an increase in the disease as badgers flee to new areas, panicked by the shooting."
The proposed pilot cull in Gloucestershire and Somerset aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of free shooting as a method of culling badgers, with the requirement that 70% should be killed. But the policy was hatched based on an estimate of badger numbers, rather than actual surveys: that estimate has now been shown to be seriously adrift – badger numbers in these areas are now known to be much higher than previously thought. This would mean spiralling costs for farmers, who are required to pay the licensed shooters for each badger killed.
Although there is no ‘quick fix’ to the bTB problem, The Wildlife Trust believes that Government efforts to tackle the disease should focus on the effective implementation of all possible measures to prevent disease transmission.
The trust also says a clear strategy for deployment of the injectable BadgerBCG vaccine and continue development of an oral badger vaccine should be made along with a change to EU regulation to permit use of a cattle vaccine and develop a strategy for its deployment.
Commenting on the government’s decision, Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said:
“Following the announcement today by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Owen Paterson MP, that the scheduled culling of badgers is to be delayed until next summer, my primary concern is of course my rural constituents, many of whom have already been devastated by the impact of Bovine TB.
“With 26,000 cattle slaughtered across the UK last year, and with costs to taxpayers expected to rise to £1billion if this situation is not dealt with, it is absolutely imperative that we take all available steps to tackle this issue, something that I have been campaigning tirelessly for for many months.
“While I am obviously extremely disappointed with the decision and the potential impact that any delay may have on local farmers, I respect the scientific evidence and recommendations presented by the NFU. I am reassured by the Government’s continuing commitment to this policy and its absolute confidence that the initial trials will be hugely successful in eradicating this devastating disease.
“I wholeheartedly praise the work of the NFU for its dedication in ensuring the prosperity of our agricultural industry and its commitment to ensuring that this policy is executed in a way that will have maximum impact on those affected. I have seen firsthand the misery that this terrible disease causes farmers and their families, and I will continue to campaign vigorously to ensure there is no further delay and to lobby for a rapid expansion of the culling programme across the rest of the UK to prevent any more suffering.”
