While badgers may be black and white, the debate over whether killing them is the right move is certainly more of a grey area... depending on who you listen to.

The ethical arguments regarding the controversial culling of badgers, whether the science is being ignored, and whether the government is taking the correct steps has resurfaced as the cull is st to be rolled out across Somerset.

We sent our reporter Steven Salter to speaking to people on both sides of the issue this week in a bid to try and find out more.

The government has sanctioned the cull for the third year running in West Somerset this autumn, with the previous two years resulting in the deaths of nearly 2,500 badgers and an estimated cost of £15m.

The aim of the cull is to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), although thanks to advances including milk pasteurisation and the BCG vaccine, bTB it is not considered to be a significant risk to human health.

Between 1994 and 2011 there were 570 cases of bovine tuberculosis in humans. Badgers can become infected with bTB and transmit the disease to cattle by marking their territory with urine.

It is thought that the TB infection rate in badgers is between 4-6% of badgers, but many argue vaccination would be a more humane way to deal with the issue, despite questions about cost and effectiveness, it costing significantly more, and there are questions how effective this would be.

If livestock does test positive for bTB it needs to be slaughtered, resulting in more than 26,000 cattle being slaughtered in England last year, costing the farming industry millions of pounds.

Prior to the 2012/13 badger cull, the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stated that badger control was needed because “...we still need to tackle TB in order to support high standards of animal health and welfare, to promote sustainable beef and dairy sectors and to meet EU legal and trade requirements and to reduce the cost and burden on farmers and taxpayers.”

But following trials in Somerset and Gloucestershire, an Independent Expert Panel Defra-appointed panelsaid in 2013 which they said that culling by free shooting is inhumane, inefficient and ineffective.

Last year’s cull targets were lowered to 316 badgers in Somerset and 615 in Gloucestershire. Overall, the aim was a reduction of 70% in badger populations over the successive culls.

Badgers are not an endangered species, but they are among the UK's most legally-protected wild animals.

The pro-cull argument

James Small, Farmer and chairman of Somerset National Farmers Union

Bridgwater Mercury:
“We are anti-TB not anti-badger but we really need to get on top of this disease, that is what it is about.
“We were very close to eradicating TB altogether in the 1950s and 60s and we could do so again now if the will was there.
“From a farmer’s point of view, they want their stock to be healthy and happy and care greatly for their animals.
“It is difficult for farmers to always have this always hanging over you , you always worry every time just in case a result comes back positive.

Bridgwater Mercury:

Spokesman for the National Farmer’s Union
“We are on track to deliver our 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine TB from England to protect the future of our dairy and beef industries.
“Based on the advice of the Chief Vet we are adopting a measured approach which already includes vaccinating badgers in areas at risk from the spread of bovine TB, as well as tightened cattle testing and movement controls, and culling where the disease is widespread.
“As vaccination has no impact on infected badgers, we have been advised that it cannot entirely replace culling in areas where the disease is rife.”
“We have had anecdotal reports from farmers who say their livestock is free from bovine tuberculosis for the first time in years.”

Peter Edwards, member of the Somerset Wildlife Trust
Mr Edwards, 78, is a member of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, and has worked in the countryside and farming industry for many years.
“It seems astonishing to me that the wildlife charities lead folk to assume that those managing the countryside are cruel and uninformed.
“This is not true, I have worked in the industry my whole life, they know what they are doing.
“I think there is so much emotion invested in the issue now, it is impossible to understand the facts.”

 

The anti-cull view

Bridgwater Mercury:

Simon Nash, chief executive of Somerset Wildlife Trust
“Somerset Wildlife Trust is firmly opposed to the badger cull and no Wildlife Trust will allow culling on its land.
“Now, as West Somerset approaches a third year of culling and the Government considers extending this unnecessary programme to other areas, the need for the voices of our members to be heard has never been stronger.
“Research shows that culling doesn’t significantly reduce outbreaks of the disease in cattle.
“It  can even make the situation worse, due to the perturbation effect where the disease is spread by badgers moving between setts post-cull.
“Cattle-to-cattle transmission represents the most important route of disease spread, so the Government’s strategy to eradicate bTB should be focused on a vaccination programme – for cattle and badgers – and biosecurity measures.
“We are very conscious of the hardship that bTB causes and the need to find an effective, long-term, sustainable solution, but culling badgers is not the answer.”

Pauline Kidmer, of Secret World Wildlife Rescue, Highbridge
The Rescue Centre wrote the Badger rehabilitation policy often quoted in parliament
“The main reason we are against the badger cull is simply that all the science available tells us that it is a waste of time and money.
“We are often classed as ‘bunny huggers’ but our background is in dairy farming, having had a TB outbreak in our own herd.
“We therefore fully understand the financial and emotional strains when outbreaks occur.
“During both the previous culls, three of the shot badgers were brought to Secret World, where post-mortems found that two had been killed inhumanely, and all three were negative when tested for bovine TB.”
“If the RBCT had found that badger culling works, then we would support it in order to rid ourselves of this terrible disease affecting our countryside.
“But that is not the case.
“The huge amounts of money wasted should be used to be spent fast forwarding the vaccination of cattle which is the long term answer to control this disease.

 

What do you think?