Western Morning News (Saturday)
No rush to phase out badger cull, says NFU
GOVERNMENT plans to phase out intensive badger culling in favour of vaccination as part of its drive to eradicate bovine TB “should not be rushed”, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has warned.
Field trials of a cattle vaccine, more badger vaccinations and an improved cattle testing regime are the focus of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ response to a review of its 25-year TB strategy, led by Professor Sir Charles Godfray.
Defra intends to start deploying badger vaccination in areas where the four-year culling cycle has ended, alongside ongoing surveillance of the disease in badgers in that area.
It will, however, retain the ability to introduce new cull zones if required.
Ministers say this evolution of the badger control policy follows a “globally significant breakthrough” by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), paving the way for a cattle vaccine to be rolled out within the next five years.
Responding to the proposals, Stuart Roberts, deputy president of the NFU, said the organisation supports tackling TB in “every possible way”, but too often badger culling and vaccination are given a “false equivalence”.
“Vaccination may have a role to play in areas where TB hasn’t taken hold, but it is important to note vaccination has never been demonstrated to reduce the disease with the same efficacy as culling, nor has it ever cured an infected badger,” he explained.
“In order to control and eradicate TB it’s important to see that the report acknowledges the need to retain intensive culling in a targeted way where the epidemiological evidence requires it.
“The NFU has always been absolutely clear that any move away from an intensive culling policy – whether that’s in five years, 10 years or longershould not be rushed and sufficient science and evidence must support any such move.
“In areas where TB in badgers is endemic, we must retain culling as a vital tool enabling industry to get on top of the disease quickly and reduce further transmission.”
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust, which has been working with farmers near St Austell to trap and vaccinate badgers, welcomed the shift in policy.
Carried out by qualified scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), 75 badgers were vaccinated last year, across a total of 18 farms.
Cheryl Marriott, the trust’s head of conservation, told the WMN: “We know from scientific research that badger vaccination has the potential to significantly reduce TB prevalence in the badger population. It is very heartening to see that the Government is taking this on board and is moving towards non-lethal control of TB in badgers.
“We are so grateful to the farmers in mid-Cornwall who all paid to cover the costs of badger vaccination, and to our supporters who have helped us to fund vaccination on Trust nature reserves. We have demonstrated that we can work well together with the common aim of reducing TB in cattle.”