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Welsh Government scraps plan to cull badgers to combat bovine TB

WALESONLINE
Matt Withers, Senedd Correspondent
21 Jun 2011

Environment Minister John Griffiths today appeared to kick the controversial badger cull into the long grass by announcing a further review into the science behind it.

Mr Griffiths said a new body to investigate the best way to stamp out bovine TB would be led by chief scientific adviser Professor John Harries.

The report will be published in the autumn, with the current system of cattle controls to continue until then.

But he was accused of jeopardising efforts to tackle the deadly cattle disease by the Conservatives, while Plaid Cymru said the decision was a political one.

The cull was a key policy of former Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones as part of the last Labour-Plaid coalition government.

Mr Griffiths said: “Bovine TB is the subject of considerable debate. This is also true of the huge body of scientific research related to the disease.

“The eradication of bovine TB in Wales is a long term Welsh Government commitment. It will require the application of new technologies and scientific developments as they become available

"The Welsh Government will continue to monitor these new technologies and the continued evolution of the policy.

“That is why I have commissioned a review of the scientific evidence base regarding the eradication of bovine TB in Wales. There will be no cull of badgers in the Intensive Action Area while the review is being carried out.”

He added: “The Welsh Government remains fully committed to eradicating bovine TB and this review of the scientific evidence base will contribute to that objective.

“This government recognises the significant financial and social impacts of bovine TB on farmers and the wider community in Wales.

"The Welsh Government paid out just over £12 million in compensation last year and at any time approximately 10% of cattle farms in Wales are under movement restrictions as a consequence of bovine TB.

"This impact should not and can not be sustained and so as a government we are committed to the eradication of bovine TB in Wales.”

Conservative AM Darren Millar wrote on Twitter: "Two u-turns by Welsh Labour Government in two days. Free laptops axed yesterday and badger cull abandoned today. What next?"

And Antoinette Sandbach, the Conservative shadow minister for rural affairs said: “There is no question that this is a miserable day for our farmers.

“By effectively shelving the pilot cull, the Welsh Labour government has cruelly betrayed the farming industry right across Wales.

“Three months ago – following scientific evidence - the Minister voted for this scheme.

“Now – despite a manifesto committed to a ‘science-led approach’ on the issue – he has kicked it into the long grass.

“We urgently need to see the specific legal and scientific evidence that has led to this postponement. I also want a breakdown of the full cost of putting the eradication policy on hold and conducting a review.

“Bovine TB continues to take a dreadful toll on our farming communities. Today’s announcement has dealt them another severe blow.”

And Plaid Cymru rural affairs spokesman, Llyr Huws Gruffydd, said: “Welsh farmers, their families and communities will greet this announcement today with sadness, anger and despair.

"Bovine TB has a harrowing emotional and financial impact on farmers and their families.

"And the disease also has far reaching, vast consequences for the public purse, its legacy has already cost Welsh taxpayers in excess of £120m – a totally unsustainable drain on the public purse.

“The Labour government has shown a considerable lack of backbone by kicking this issue into the long grass.

"No new evidence has come to light and therefore I can see no genuine reason for Carwyn Jones and his cabinet to have changed their mind."

But the RSPCA welcomed the announcement.

Colin Booty, the organisation's senior scientist said: "The RSPCA is extremely relieved that the badger cull in Wales is on hold while a review takes place and hopes it is just the first step to the Welsh Government reversing the plans altogether.

"Our position on this is extremely clear - we are firmly opposed to any plans for a widespread cull. The RSPCA believes the best scientific evidence indicates that a cull could make the problem of bovine TB in cattle worse rather than better through a process called perturbation.

"The Society agrees action is needed to deal with bovine TB, but does not believe action is synonymous with killing badgers. Alternatives include vaccination, increased levels of cattle testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle.

“Let’s hope that this is only the start of things to come and, with an announcement imminent about a proposed cull in England, close attention is being paid to developments in Wales by officials over the border.”

Comments (1)

KeithHutchin
4:13 PM on June 21, 2011

The correct decision. Vaccination is the way forward and a badger vaccine ia available and licensed. Now it is time to use it and deal with the issue in a sensible, restrained and responsible manner. We kill wildlife all too often, blaming it for issues which are man-made, and in the end, everything suffers, including man. Its time to stop playing God.

 

 

 

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