Defra has unveiled plans for its ongoing bovine TB control strategy, after figures from the Autumn badger culls in South-West England show that all ten cull zones reached their target number of kills.

As part of its 25 year strategy, the government is also ramping up support for farmers to improve their on-farm biosecurity by promising a new CHeCS TB cattle herd accreditation scheme, biosecurity demonstrations for farmers, and more training for vets delivered by the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and private companies.

Other measures announced under the TB control policy are:

• Wider use of blood tests alongside the current skin test in the high risk area of Southern England;
• Plans to bring TB control in pigs, sheep, goats, deer and camelids into line with cattle controls, which will include new statutory compensation arrangements for these species;
• More frequent updates to the ibTB online tool which allows farmers to view TB outbreaks close to their farm. From early in 2017 the data will be refreshed every fortnight rather than every month.

In addition to these plans, the government has said it will be applying for Official TB-free stats for northern England next year, which would boost trade opportunities if accepted. If Defra’s plan comes off, it will be the first time anywhere in England has been classified is bTB free. Scotland has enjoyed bTB-free status since 2009.

Commenting on Friday, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said, “Gaining global recognition that more than half of England is TB-free will be a significant milestone in our long-term plan to eradicate this devastating disease, and will open up new trading opportunities for farmers. We have much still to do in the worst affected parts of the country, but this shows that our strategy - combining practical biosecurity measures, a robust cattle movement and testing regime, and badger control in areas where the disease is rife - is right and is working.”

Defra's stats on the badger culls, which were extended to new counties in the South-West this year and ran from August to October, show that shooting targets were met in every cull zone for the second year, after the first two years saw targets missed in the two ‘trial’ cull zones. In all, the figures show over 10,000 badgers were killed across ten cull zones in seven counties.

Natural England staff, who took over from the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) that oversaw the first year of culling in Somerset and Gloucestershire, saw 112 badgers being shot at. NE observers estimated that between 6 and 17% of badgers shot at were not retrieved, meaning they could have been wounded and experienced “marked pain”. This was a major concern highlighted by the IEP in its assessment of the culls in 2013.

Commenting late on Friday, Claire Bass, Director of Humane Society International UK contested the environment secretary’s claims that the cull stats show the controversial policy is working. Bass said the culls have been, and remain, “politically motivated”.  

She said, "14,829 [badgers have been shot] overall since the start of the culls, a shocking and grim death toll for this supposedly protected species. There is no evidence that shooting badgers reduces TB in cattle, in fact the vast majority of scientists agree that this approach actually increases the risk of spreading the disease. Shooting thousands of badgers, the majority of whom will not even have TB, is a costly distraction from the real solution to TB in cattle.

“The truth is, they could wipe out every badger in England, and farmers would still be dealing with TB in cattle: it's a disease of cattle, primarily spread by cattle, and it's cattle-focussed control measures that will stop it.”

NFU welcomes government announcement

NFU President Meurig Raymond welcomed the government’s announcement that it would be pushing for bTB-free status for part of the country and celebrated Defra’s plans to bring TB control in other species into line with cattle. He said, “If culling is to have the maximum impact on disease it is vital that it takes place in as much of the area where bTB is rife as possible. We will continue to offer help, advice and support to farmers who want to apply for a cull licence in these areas and where culling will have a beneficial impact on disease control.”

Raymond added, “We are pleased that Defra has listened to the recommendations made by the NFU about only introducing the wider use of the gamma interferon blood test alongside the current skin test… We await further details on how and when this will be rolled out, but it is important there is clear information about the trigger points for when the test would be used and that compensation for any reactors is paid in line with current policy.”
 
In a statement on Friday, Defra’s Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said, “This year we have seen that badger control can be delivered successfully on a wider scale.” He said the government will push for further expansion of the culls to “Achieve and maintain long term reductions in the level of TB across the South West and Midlands where the disease is currently widespread.”

However, HSI UK’s Claire Bass said of the divisive culling strategy, “Since dismissing its own independent assessment panel, the government has avoided formal scrutiny and transparency, which is wholly inappropriate for venture costing millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. If we're truly a 'nation of animal lovers', and if we want to lay claim to a role as world leaders in animal welfare, this cruel and pointless cull must stop."