I’ve never blogged before and I certainly didn’t expect that I would start with this subject. However, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realise how passionately I feel that the culling of badgers is simply wrong. So, here goes …
From today, farmers in 2 areas of England will be permitted to shoot badgers in an attempt to control TB in cattle. Some 5,000 badgers will be killed. Bovine TB is a serious problem for the cattle industry and causes significant financial and personal hardship for the farmers affected by it. Control of the disease is also expensive for the taxpayer with an average of £50m per year spent dealing with the problem over the last 10 years. Finding new and more effective ways of addressing this issue is therefore rightly a priority. However, the proposed badger cull is ill-thought out and has significant opposition from scientists. I don’t believe it is the right course of action either for the following reasons:
- The cull is not expected to have a significant impact on bovine TB levels. It has been suggested that a sustained cull of 70% of the badger population over a 5 year period will reduce TB levels by no more than 12-16% and it could be less.
- Previous randomised trials suggest that bovine TB levels in surrounding areas actually increases as a result of surviving badgers migrating out of the areas to establish new groups, taking TB with them. This increase in surrounding bovine TB negates the minimal reduction in the area of culling.
- There is no firm evidence on the size of the role badgers play in the spread of bovine TB. Although the disease may be spread badger-to-cattle through infected urine, the size of this role versus the size of cattle-to-cattle infection through urine is not proved. To kill 70% of badgers when randomised surveys suggest that only 16% of badgers are infected is illogical under these circumstances.
- Defra (the government department which is responsible for overseeing the cull) will not review the badger cull for scientific evidence. They will review only how humane the cull is and how effective it is in reducing badger populations by 70%.
- There is an efficient and cost effective alternative in the form of the BCG vaccination. This has been trialled by a number of conservation groups already. Allegations that the vaccination is not available are therefore disingenuous.
Our countryside is one of our most important assets. The protection of our rural heritage and environment are therefore equally as important as the issues of addressing bovine TB. This cull will have a significantly negative impact on the environment without having a significantly positive impact on bovine TB. Where realistic alternatives are available, the appropriate course of action must be to put resources into further scientific review rather than progressing with a drastic untested approach.
Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh says “We need a science-led policy to manage cattle movements better and a vaccine to tackle TB in cattle.” Instead, the government, backed by the NFU, are committed to a costly and senseless slaughter of animals without even the aim of collecting meaningful data collection to determine a better way forward in the future.
There is still time to stop the cull. On Wednesday, there will be a motion brought by Labour in the House of Commons opposing the planned cull. The wording of the motion is “This House believes the badger cull should not go ahead.” If you agree with my views, write to your MP and urge him to support the motion on Wednesday.
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