16/05/2011

Anti-cull campaigners have accused the livestock industry of scoring a “shocking own goal” whilst blaming badgers for TB after videos revealed lax biosecurity measures at markets. The animal rights charity Viva! Has released video of what it calls “appalling” biosecurity lapses, filmed at three Welsh livestock markets in an area suffering from widespread TB infections in cattle.

Following the recent elections, groups including Viva! have been urging the Welsh Assembly to drop plans to kill badgers, which they believe is a misguided strategy for controling bovine TB. It was previously believed that a wildlife cull may take place imminently if Assembly plans go ahead. Having previously sent the footage to rural affairs minister Elin Jones, the group has now sent its findings to Welsh Labour leader Carywn Jones, urging his party to stop plans for a cull ahead of appointing a new rural affairs minister.

Viva! has accused the Welsh Assembly and the farming industry of allowing TB in through the backdoor whilst wrongly blaming Welsh wildlife for the spread of the disease. Despite the Welsh Government’s official guidelines, urging good biosecurity at markets to stop disease spread - and highlighting the fact that they are legally binding - the group said that disregard for the most basic biosecurity measures appeared to be endemic in Welsh markets and could be a major risk factor in spreading TB to cattle in the country.

Footage showed 97 per cent of visitors to the Carmarthen Market on 30 March ignoring simple biosecurity measures despite clearly marked signs asking them to dip their feet and wear appropriate footwear. Furthermore, an Animal Health official exclaims amazement on camera that she recently watched tested and non-tested cattle being widely mixed at a recent Carmarthen market. She says she was “seething” at the serious biosecurity infringement.

There were no biosecutiry measures in place at Whitland Market, also on 30 March, despite its designation as a Red/TB cattle market, where cattle under disease restrictions are sold for slaughter and risk of the spread of TB is high. At a Cardigan Market, on 4 April, not a single person was observed following simple biosecurity precautions such as dipping boots, despite the market’s location within the Intensive Action Area.

Viva!’s campaigns manager, Justin Kerswell, commented on the footage, “Why do farmers appear to be so willing to pull the trigger on the country’s wildlife when they are clearly ignoring a problem much closer to home? Biosecurity appears to be treated with absolute contempt by most people who visit Welsh markets if our footage is anything to go by. It’s not rocket science, bad biosecurity at markets has the potential to be a major route of infection. People should be angry that badgers are being made a scapegoat judging by what we saw, is it any wonder that TB has spread like wildfire through parts of the country?

Kerswell continued, “We are calling on Carwyn Jones and Welsh Labour to dump plans to kill badgers in Wales, as we believe that this footage is damning and is likely indicative of general practice at Welsh markets. Why should Welsh wildlife die when even the simplest precautions against disease are so flagrantly flouted? We’ve said it before – and we’ll say it again – bad farming practices and previous bad political decisions are at the root of the TB epidemic, not badgers.”

What do you think? Do Viva!'s findings demonstrate that more could be done to counteract the spread of bTB? ***