The Green Parties from across the South West have demanded the end of discussions on badger culling, following on from the decision at the High Court on a case brought by the Badger Trust.
Although the order relates to Wales, the evidence presented at the review considered that a maximum drop in bovine TB of nine per cent effectiveness did not warrant the order to relate to the whole of Wales, therefore questioning its benefit.
The Greens say the coalition government has been drawing up plans for targeted culls in the South West, reversing the previous administration’s decision to lead on a science-based approach. Trial vaccinations of badgers this summer have been scaled back, with the emphasis now moving to a culling order, with only a small area of vaccination around Stroud going ahead. Although vaccination of cattle against TB is still years away, badger vaccination is known to be effective and more cost-efficient over a five year than a shorter period, as older infected badgers die and the disease is then wiped out in badgers.
The Greens point out that research by the scientist Martin Hancox (member of the government’s Consultative Panel on Badgers and TB 1990-2 and involved with the issue for 50 years) and others has shown that cross infection is far more likely from cattle to badgers rather than vice versa. Martin suggests the true problem may lie within cattle themselves. Instead of looking at vaccines we should be calling for better testing in cows and greater restriction of cattle movements. Issues such as intensive farming methods, necessitating cows spending much time in close proximity to each other in closed barns which create breeding grounds disease spreading organisms, should be held up to greater scrutiny.
A Green Party county councillor said: “Science has never shown a clear, definitive link to show that TB in cattle directly related relates to badger infection. Any mammal can catch TB and can therefore spread the disease.
“Culling in the past have has shown little effect, even increasing [the incidence of TB in cattle] in some circumstances, and if other methods of controlling the disease are related to a 91 per cent drop in infection then surely we should be using these routes to control the disease more effectively, rather than opting for the old wives’ tale of culling.”
(from a press release)
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