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Wildlife Trust statement on badger culling

04/07/2008 10:54:08 July 2008. The Wildlife Trusts welcome the announcement, from Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, rejecting a badger cull as a solution to combating bovine TB in cattle.

National Farmers Union Statement

"Defra is not currently confirming the decision but in light of the BBC reports this is obviously disastrous news for the families and farms devastated by TB. We will be taking immediate legal advice on challenging the decision and have instructed leading QC Richard Lissack. With 28,000 animals culled last year this is a very serious threat to the livestock industry in this country."

Stephanie Hilborne, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "This is a good day for science, public opinion and common sense. We congratulate Hilary Benn on sticking to the scientific evidence and drawing a line under any consideration of a badger cull. There is no single solution to this disease, but now is the time for all parties to throw their weight behind cattle-to-cattle control measures and improved biosecurity to deal with bovine TB.

"The Wildlife Trusts accept that bovine TB in cattle is a significant problem for farming in the UK and that urgent action is required to combat the disease. We particularly recognise the important role that the livestock industry can play in the environmentally-sensitive management of the countryside and the serious disruption and anxiety caused to farmers experiencing a herd breakdown."

The way forward

The Wildlife Trusts hope this announcement will now provide the basis for the farming community, conservation organisations and the Government to work together to confront this disease through the following measures:

Improved cattle testing (including use of the gamma interferon test) and monitoring of testing
Stricter movement restrictions including pre and post-movement testing
Improved husbandry and biosecurity on farms
Continued research and trials for vaccine development

Stephanie Hilborne continued: "This announcement marks a turning point in our approach to bovine TB in cattle. It is not a victory for badgers - we still have a terrible disease of both badgers and cattle that we must address. The Wildlife Trusts will be doing what we can to help by supporting cattle testing measures, promoting good biosecurity and husbandry in our work with farmers, and continuing to support badger vaccine trials on our nature reserves."

Scientific evidence
The Independent Scientific Group has given us the definitive scientific view that badger culling provides ‘no meaningful contribution' and is ‘not cost effective' as a control measure for combating bovine tuberculosis. The full report is available here.

RSPB reaction

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's Conservation Director, said : "Detailed studies on the effects of culling badgers show that killing over small areas will make the TB problem worse, as animals move in search of safer ground or others from outside move in to fill the vacant territories, such movements lead to an increase in infection risk. As a result, the RSPB has opposed badger culling and we would not have voluntarily granted access for badger control on our land."

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