Expensive badger cull should be ended, study says
Whilst all eyes focus on Ukraine, the world continues to turn on homespun, but nonetheless important issues. This is one ongoing divisive rural issue in this context.
A badger cull intended to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB) outbreaks has not worked and should be ended, a study has suggested.
The decade-long plan that started in Gloucestershire and Somerset, has killed 140,000 badgers.
A paper released today by the Veterinary Record journal and scientists who oppose the cull, claims it “cost a fortune and saved nothing”.
The government has criticised the study and said it fits a “campaign agenda”.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said: “This paper has been produced to fit a clear campaign agenda and manipulates data in a way that makes it impossible to see the actual effects of badger culling on reducing TB rates.
“It is disappointing to see it published in a scientific journal.”
Badgers also carry bovine TB and farmers believe they help spread it to cattle.
According to the government, independent and past “published scientifically rigorous analysis of the disease shows that licensed badger culling is helping to drive down bTB in cull areas.”