Badger Trust opposed to a new badger cull in NI

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) consultation, which closed on Friday 10th September, set out options for management of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) and proposed introducing a ‘non-selective cull’, meaning badgers would simply be killed with no regard to their bTB status.

Adam Laidlaw, Executive Director of Badger Trust, said: “It is extraordinary that given the opportunity to learn from two distinct examples on its doorstep - England and Wales - that Northern Ireland should be considering following the least effective, most expensive, least humane, and most disproportionate option as used in England. And only then to follow it up later with vaccination. This is twice the cost to farmers and taxpayers alike with little hope of impact on cattle disease.

“Despite many efforts and at significant costs on their part, the Government in Westminster still cannot produce any unequivocal evidence that the English culling of badgers is having any effect on disease rates among cattle.

“Compensation rates have actually increased whilst prevalence remains largely stable despite eight years of culling.”