Defra dismisses flawed badgercull study

ASTUDY claiming the licensed culling of badgers has been ineffective in reducing bovine TB in England has been dismissed by Defra scientists. The research, published in the journal of the British Veterinary Association, Vet Record, argues that the cull has ‘cost a fortune and saved nothing’. Co-authored by three longstanding opponents of the cull, it suggests that a decline in prevalence of TB could be linked to cattlebased disease-control measures.

Defra’s chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss and chief scientific adviser Gideon Henderson have written to Vet Record dismissing the study’s findings. Their letter says that there are ‘significant methodological flaws’ in the analysis, because it combines data across different periods. Defra maintains that its own analysis of publicly available data shows clear declining trends in the disease, which is not seen in unculled areas. ‘The paper has been produced to fit a clear campaign agenda and manipulates data in a way that makes it impossible to see the actual effects of badger culling on reducing TB rates,’ says a spokesman. ‘It is disappointing to see it published in a scientific journal.’ A proper inspection of publicly available data would have shown clear declining trends in disease following the start of culling unseen in areas without culls, Defra claims.

The cull is due to be phased out this year. In an interview with COUNTRY LIFE last year, Defra Secretary George Eustice said: ‘Those who say the cull is not scientific are wrong—it is. We are not changing policy because it’s wrong, but because it’s been delivered. Culling reduces the incidence of TB by 50%, but after that it plateaus.’