14 June 2011

The government has announced that a badger cull will be postponed until next year at the earliest. Although an announcement on whether a cull will be sanctioned is expected next month, Agriculture and Food minister Jim Paice revealed yesterday that a cull would not be implemented until 2012. Paice said, "If we do allow it to go ahead it would probably be from spring next year." image expired

A public consultation, which concluded in December, raised serious questions over whether a cull would be effective in eliminating bovine TB as intended, which has delayed the process. Paice explained, "There is no doubt we would be faced with a judicial review if we do go ahead, and we'd have to withstand that review. We have to accept that the science is disputed. The critical thing is whether we have properly examined every issue. I believe a cull is part of the answer, but we have to tackle this disease from all angles.”

The news comes just days after research conducted by the BBC revealed 63% of adults across the UK were against a cull, with just 31% in favour.

The government proposed licensing professional sharpshooters to carry out the cull. Although even evidence supporting a cull shows it would have to last for four years in order to be effective. Campaign groups opposing the cull suggest such a control method would be redundant. They point to statistics which show incidence of bTB fell 15 per cent between 2009 and 2010, as a result of better control methods and without resorting to culling.

Jack Reedy, vice-president of the Badger Trust, said the BBC’s recent findings were, “a telling verdict on the propaganda in the overblown consultation documents issued by the Coalition and Welsh Governments.” He continued, “Bovine TB is complex and political argument, picking out narrow points to support prejudices about the role of badgers is futile. Yet farming organisations still seek to avoid facing up to the science which says culling can make no meaningful contribution to bovine TB control.”

Speaking at the opening day of the Royal Cornwall Show, Jim Paice outlined the route the process will now take, "At this stage in the year we cannot expect a cull of badgers until the summer of next year at the earliest. We shall need to provide time for at least one judicial review, which is inevitable, and then Natural England will need time to process all the licence to cull applications. So realistically we are looking at the summer of next year before any cull will get under way."

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