RSPCA: Badger cull "a colossal mistake"

Tuesday, 8 April 2008 12:00 AM

A badger cull in Wales would be a colossal mistake: for cattle, farmers and badgers, says the RSPCA.

The Welsh Assembly Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones is expected today to sanction a badger cull in Wales as part of a strategy to tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle.

"This decision flies in the face of sound scientific judgement," says John Avizienius, deputy head of farm animal science at the RSPCA. "The most authoritative scientific research ever undertaken on the subject (1) recommended against badger culling.

"What's the point of spending £34 million on a ten-year study, killing over 11,000 badgers and then ignoring the results? A cull would be a worrying waste of time, resources and badger lives. It also risks distracting attention from worthwhile efforts to reduce the spread of bovine TB in cattle."

As a former herdsman, John Avizienius speaks with authority and empathy about the devastating impact herd restrictions can have. "Farmers' concern about the increase of TB in herds is entirely understandable," he says, "but this makes it all the more crucial to focus efforts on disease control methods which will work," he adds, "not embarking on a badger cull which is very likely to make matters worse."

Both the RSPB and the National Trust agree that a badger cull won't work. "We are not a bunch of badger-huggers," says Dr Rob Atkinson, the RSPCA's head of wildlife science. "Our opposition to a badger cull is based on solid science not sentiment. The RSPCA cares as much about cattle welfare as badgers. We are keen to work with farmers and governments to find positive solutions to the challenge of TB in cattle."

The RSPCA strongly supports:

- enhanced testing of cattle and better biosecurity
- quarantine arrangements for cattle moved from farm-to-farm
- financial assistance to farmers to implement these and other measures to tackle bovine TB.

The decision to cull badgers somewhere in Wales could increase the occurrence of bTB in neighbouring areas, according to the scientific evidence. Furthermore, it is not possible to cull only diseased badgers because there is no reliable test to identify them. This means that most of the badgers killed in any cull would be disease-free because the available evidence (2) shows that the vast majority of badgers are free from TB.

The RSPCA is urging members of the public to write to the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones at the Welsh Assembly Government and to seek a meeting with their Assembly Members to urge against a cull. More information can be found on the RSPCA website at www.rspca.org.uk/badgers.

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Notes to Editors

1. The Independent Scientific Group on bTB (ISG) was tasked by the UK Government with undertaking specific research on the effects of badger-culling on TB in cattle. The painstaking work took eight years, cost the lives of over 11,000 badgers and cost taxpayers £34 million. The ISG concluded that, "badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain".

2. The ISG advised: "Scientific findings indicate that the rising incidence of disease can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of cattle-based control measures alone."

3. The findings of a study of badgers found dead in Wales were published in January 2007. The study - conducted for the Welsh Assembly Government - found that 7 out of 8 badgers tested negative for the disease. It also showed that - even in those parts of the country worst affected by bovine TB - most badgers test negative for the disease. The ISG's report also found that on average only 16.6% of the badgers culled tested positive for TB (i.e. 83.4% didn't).

RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099 Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 0870 0555500 and ask for pager number 828825
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