Yesterday, Natural England issued a licence permitting the control of badgers in West Gloucestershire for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).
As I have written previously here and here, the dairy industry has endured terrible times while trying to cope with this devastating disease. However, we have never been convinced that the best way to help farmers is to force them to foot the bill for a contentious cull that is only expected to reduce outbreaks by about 16 per cent. The 16% figure is a mean figure for the whole of a cull area from para 5 of a Defra report by leading scientists which you can read here.
I think that this is a lot of effort for a small gain. Bovine TB needs tackling properly and we believe vaccination offers the best hope for cattle, badgers and the industry. It is clear that the Defra's Chief Scientist, Professor Sir Bob Watson, agrees. Have a listen to what he says in the video clip which you can watch here.
And there is another reason why there needs to be a broader response. If, after the trials, a cull in all affected areas (39,000 square kilometres in England) is sanctioned then up to 30 per cent of the English badger population could be removed. This reduction through a cull would be unprecedented and would severely affect the conservation status of one of Britain's most-loved mammals.
What's more, there are problems with the design of these pilots. Another Professor (Sir John Krebs) has pointed out that two six week trials will not produce results with any statistical rigour. It is also the case that there will be no testing or analysis of the impact of shooting free ranging badgers on perturbation.
We have taken the decision that this autumn we shall be taking positive steps towards controlling bovine TB by vaccinating badgers on our land at Highnam Woods in Gloucestershire which lies just outside one of the two UK badger trial control zones. While this is a small step, we think this is the best way to both ensure the health of the badgers on our land and act as good neighbours to nearby farmers who could be affected by the forthcoming trial.
If you feel strongly about the issue, there are two current live petitions (here and here) which are encouraging the government to stop the badger cull and think again.
What do you think about yesterday's decision?
It would be great to hear your views.
Interesting to see that the second of the petitions has now had over 100,000 signatures after just a couple of weeks. An impressive show of public concern.
Peter,what you say perfectly true,Ironically most people seem to think farmers hate badgers and that I do not believe is true as I know of no farmer or have ever heard of one killing any and for sure on isolated farmland that would be all too easy.
Everyone is as you say going to be a loser because I think this cull is so inefficient that it will not work but a cull that would work would now be so drastic that it is highly probable to be unacceptable.Worse still that most experts seem to suggest vaccination will not work because not enough can be caught and vaccination needed each year also vaccine no use against already infected badgers which must mean any young in sett likely to catch it before vaccination from any in sett with the disease.
To me the answer must be to vaccinate any cattle at risk ignoring the EU who would ban our cattle exports so we use our own cattle products and ban cattle imports,that is what other EU country's would do ignore the EU rules.
Farmers could then say to badger groups we have solved the cattle problem now you clear up the disease in badgers because there has to be a risk it will spread to other wildlife or perhaps it has already.
Sooty I think that there is going to be a massive public boycott of UK milk and UK dairy out of this ; this is a No Win situation that is going to get worse . RSPB (as usual) are pretty much in the main stream. I feel desperately sorry for small farmers here (trapped by the supermarkets on price that is where this Tory govt should be acting; why do you not lobby RSPB et al to reinstate the Milk Marketing Board ? this is very serious for conservation also and some sort of stewardship logo in return ? I have to say that I think there's a badger link also but it has been very hard to prove I suspect . the route out is by vaccine and the responsibility must lie with MAFF and all those long term civil servants that dominate DEFRA and the senior positions in NE.
Would not suggest that is the case on your blog but it seems on the main forum RSPB staff are promoting the cull and contributors coming over as anti farmers,would suggest this very dangerous as it will all end up farmers supporting RSPB projects less in future.
Peter,it could well be as there are larger herds in UK so it is probably inevitable.
What I would say that proves that badgers are significantly involved in spreading the disease is that there are lots of incidents cropping up with self contained herds that never bought cattle in so breeding there own replacements that get BTB reactors when herd tested,there is no way that cattle movements involved in these cases.