Badger cull

[mick miller]

It's all about to come to an end anyhow... (from the Telegraph)

Badger culls to be phased out in favour of vaccinations, Government announces
Cattle trials are to be implemented and 'intensive' badger culling will end to tackle bovine TB

By
Helena Horton
5 March 2020 • 10:02am

The government hopes to produce a cattle vaccine within five years. Badger culls will be phased out, the government has announced, as it plans to trial vaccinations of cattle and badgers instead.

The environment secretary has said he does not want to continue killing the animals "indefinitely" so has welcomed new methods to eradicate bovine tuberculosis.

Farmers have previously maintained that killing badgers is the most effective way to protect their cattle from tuberculosis.

It is one of the most pressing issues facing the farming industry, as more than 30,000 cattle are slaughtered each year due to infection from bTB.

However, a recent study by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has indicated that vaccinations could be effective in stopping the spread.

Because of this, the government will now accelerate the work towards deployment of the cattle vaccine within the next five years.

The commitment is part of  the government’s response to an independent review  of its 25 year bTB strategy, led by Professor Sir Charles Godfray, which showed the disease spreads more effectively from cattle to cattle rather than from badgers.

As wider preventative measures are introduced, the response to the Godfray review sets out an intention to begin to phase out intensive badger culling.

Where four-year cull cycles have ended, the government will phase out the method. After the infection in the badger population is dealt with by culling followed by badger vaccination, it will allow other measures such as cattle vaccination to be more effective. This is the combined approach needed to achieve the government’s goal of eradicating the disease by 2038.

However, the government will retain the ability to introduce new cull zones where local epidemiological evidence points to an ongoing role of badgers in maintaining the disease.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “Bovine TB is a slow-moving and insidious disease leading to the slaughter of over 30,000 cattle every year and considerable trauma for farmers as they suffer the loss of highly prized animals and valued herds.

“The badger cull has led to a significant reduction in the disease as demonstrated by recent academic research and past studies. But no one wants to continue the cull of this protected species indefinitely so, once the weight of disease in wildlife has been addressed, we will accelerate other elements of our strategy including improved diagnostics and cattle vaccination to sustain the downward trajectory of the disease.”

Campaigners welcomed this change in policy.

The CEO of the Badger Trust Dominic Dyer said:  “After spending an estimated £60 million of public money killing over 100,000 badgers in the largest destruction of a protected species in living memory, the Government have finally concluded that the long term solution to bovine TB in cattle requires a major focus on cattle based disease control measures together with both the vaccination of badgers and cattle against TB.

"The Government are right to state that far too much emphasis has been based on killing badgers by the farming industry and too little effort had been made to improve biosecurity, introduce risk based trading and tighten cattle movement controls. 

"Now we have left the EU we are also seeing a much needed emphasis by the Government on the need to move forward with cattle vaccination trials.

"In its response to the Godfray TB review today the Government has finally come up with a long term exit strategy from badger culling based on cattle based control measures and TB vaccination in both badgers & cattle. This is better for tax payers, farmers and the future of our precious wildlife".

Some MPs also said the change was good news. Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, said: "The science says vaccinate, not cull."

Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, said: "This is great news!

Edited March 5, 2020 by mick miller

[old'un]

Think they should cull Badgers regardless of TB, what good do an over population of Badgers do for other wildlife.

[Rewulf]

28 minutes ago, old'un said:

what good do an over population of Badgers do for other wildlife.

Nothing good...

[oowee]

1 hour ago, mick miller said:

It's all about to come to an end anyhow... (from the Telegraph)

Badger culls to be phased out in favour of vaccinations, Government announces
Cattle trials are to be implemented and 'intensive' badger culling will end to tackle bovine TB

By
Helena Horton
5 March 2020 • 10:02am

The government hopes to produce a cattle vaccine within five years. Badger culls will be phased out, the government has announced, as it plans to trial vaccinations of cattle and badgers instead.

 

There is no change in policy. The press release is about vaccinating cattle. The TB test required to identify a vacinated animal from an infected one is is not yet available, and neither is the vaccine. It also says in the release that culling will be supported if the epidemiology supports it as neccessary (just like now). All of this is in any case in the 25 year government strategy. 

[Rewulf]

1 minute ago, oowee said:

There is no change in policy. The press release is about vaccinating cattle. The TB test required to identify a vacinated animal from an infected one is is not yet available, and neither is the vaccine. It also says in the release that culling will be supported if the epidemiology supports it as neccessary (just like now). All of this is in any case in the 25 year government strategy. 

[Alan J]

On February 28, 2020 at 10:44, Rewulf said:

First off, due to the nature of the subject it may be better to respond to this via PM, but its entirely up to you.

Basically, Ive been asked to participate in a 'possible' cull later on this year (Its not in Nottingham)
Obviously I have to do the course first.
Just a few questions regarding the costs of the course, and the returns on said cull, from anyone who has done it or doing it.
The main reason Im asking, is there are a few things that dont 'add up' if you get my drift.

Cheers

Well today the govt has decided to STOP the cull in ALL areas instead a programe of vacination in both cattle ad badger will take place. This will be done starting in May..Good news as we have still got a well used set .in the wood joining our farm house. Phew thought we would loose the dear friends..Mr Packham did not interfere ...thank god...Ahmen..

[captainhastings]

vacination is absurd for the badgers what a waste of money. Remove them from the protected list and god knows why they are on it anyway.Let farmers control there own badgers how they see fit. The number around here are just ridiculous. 
This country is so **** about face now a days 

Edited March 6, 2020 by captainhastings

[Walker570]

51 minutes ago, captainhastings said:

vacination is absurd for the badgers what a waste of money. Remove them from the protected list and god knows why they are on it anyway.Let farmers control there own badgers how they see fit. The number around here are just ridiculous. 
This country is so **** about face now a days 

As above, simply put them back on the vermin list and we will then have a healthy population of badgers.  The law was originally drafted mainly to control badger baiting and therefore penalties for that should be trebled.    Other wildlife, particularly, bumble bees and hedgehogs along with any ground nesting birds will be better protected.   By all means develop a vacine for cattle as well but trying to vacinate all the badgers in this country is so pathetically stupid one wonders who these people are who suggest it.

[panoma1]

About time the real conservationists went on the offensive, shouted it loud and told everyone far and wide, the truth...........that is if we want a healthy stable population of ALL species, we must control the numbers of the species that have a negative impact on the others.........badger numbers need controlling, end of!.......Bovine TB is a related but different issue!

[Penelope]

2 hours ago, captainhastings said:

vacination is absurd for the badgers what a waste of money. Remove them from the protected list and god knows why they are on it anyway.Let farmers control there own badgers how they see fit. The number around here are just ridiculous. 
This country is so **** about face now a days 

Carrie whispering sweet nothings in Bori's lug?

[Rewulf]

16 minutes ago, Penelope said:

Carrie whispering sweet nothings in Bori's lug?

Possible, stranger things have happened in the corridors of power. 

It's more likely that given the vast majority of the publics perception of those loveable fluffy Beatrix Potter characters... Its more about votes and popularity, a strategic decision. 

But one with the option to continue the cull if necessary. 

7 hours ago, Alan J said:

Well today the govt has decided to STOP the cull in ALL areas

No they haven't. 

[wymberley]

I suppose that I should mention that the main thrust of the piece is road kill, but in listing the other causes of the decline in hedgehog numbers not surprisingly the BBC has failed to mention Brock in the list of other factors responsible in their current teletext news article.

[mick miller]

For anyone thinking that the Badger will be put onto a pest, vermin or GL here's a simple pictothing to show why that ain't ever going to happen.

 

[Rewulf]

1 hour ago, mick miller said:

For anyone thinking that the Badger will be put onto a pest, vermin or GL here's a simple pictothing to show why that ain't ever going to happen.

Or you could take a cross section of UK population , and ask how many think culling badgers is a proper and necessary thing to do ?
I doubt you'd make 1 %

The Carrie - Pacman connection not withstanding, she may be in charge of some things in the BJ household (😮) but I dont believe shes in charge of farming and rural affairs ..yet.

[mick miller]

1 hour ago, Rewulf said:

Or you could take a cross section of UK population , and ask how many think culling badgers is a proper and necessary thing to do ?
I doubt you'd make 1 %

The Carrie - Pacman connection not withstanding, she may be in charge of some things in the BJ household (😮) but I dont believe shes in charge of farming and rural affairs ..yet.

No, for that link you need to go Packham, Avery then Avery, Juniper. Much shorter route. You could always throw a Zac Goldsmith (serial failure) into the mix too if you like.

[CharlieT]

On 05/03/2020 at 15:27, oowee said:

There is no change in policy. The press release is about vaccinating cattle. The TB test required to identify a vacinated animal from an infected one is is not yet available, and neither is the vaccine. It also says in the release that culling will be supported if the epidemiology supports it as neccessary (just like now). All of this is in any case in the 25 year government strategy. 

Exactly, perhaps many should read the Government's response to the strategic review https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/870414/bovine-tb-strategy-review-government-response.pdf

 

Particularly this passage

While the government must retain the ability to introduce new cull zones where the disease is rife, our aim will be to allow future badger culls only where the epidemiological evidence points to a significant reservoir of the disease in badgers. We envisage that any remaining areas would join the current cull programme in the next few years and that the badger cull phase of the strategy would then wind down by the mid to late 2020s, although we would need to retain the ability to cull in a targeted way where the epidemiological evidence requires it.

[Saltings]

growing up in Ireland in the early seventy's  we had a badger cull to eradicate bovine tb   and it did    i left Ireland thirty years ago I cant say if there is a case of bovine tb in Ireland  today  however I knew guys who had tb  and never got over it  as weak  and never lived to a ripe old age     badger culls work as boar badgers like rats piddle/ dribble all the time and lasts 6 weeks or longer on grasslands     I don't know of a vaccine exists  for tb  I may be wrong     people coming from eastern block  countries for many years  would not be infecting us   with tb if we had a vaccine  as we were clear of tb for many years      bovine tb vaccinations would take second place to human vaccinations         looks like smoke and mirrors carry on culling to me  

all species need to be managed by  countryside folk  as they understand habitat better than any    muppet with a book who doesn't own a pair of wellies 

Edited March 11, 2020 by Saltings