Bovine TB ruling puts pressure on politicians

Pressure is mounting on politicians over bovine tuberculosis after the High Court threw out attempts to stop a badger cull in Wales.

Farm leaders believe badgers infected with bovine TB should also be culled in England after the legal ruling paved the way for an eradication programme to start next month in Pembrokeshire.

Proposals allowing English farmers to cull infected badgers will be placed before the next DEFRA secretary, whichever political party wins power in the general election on 6 May.

Farmers in England have been unable to obtain badger removal licences since DEFRA secretary Hilary Benn refused to sanction a badger cull last year. But farm leaders believe there is no reason for the ban to remain in place.

“The Welsh decision is exceptionally good news in terms of dealing with wildlife in England,” said an NFU spokesman. “But we have always said that for a change of policy we need a change in minister.”

The Badger Trust had applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the Welsh Assembly Government’s TB eradication programme. But judge Justice Lloyd Jones ruled that the planned badger cull was lawful.

Welsh rural affairs minister Elin Jones welcomed the decision. “We have to tackle all sources of the disease. We are dealing with an epidemic that has serious consequences for us all and we must stamp it out.”

Peanuts are expected to be used as bait to entice badgers into traps once the cull gets under way. The animals are known to like peanuts, which are commonly used to encourage badgers into people’s gardens.

The programme to eradicate TB from Wales also includes more testing of cattle, identifying and getting rid of the disease in cattle at an earlier stage and improving farm biosecurity and management practices.

Bill Reilly, president of the British Veterinary Association, echoed calls for a cull in England. “It is essential that a wide range of measures is employed to tackle this devastating disease and we believe that should include a targeted cull of badgers,” he said.

But the Badger Trust, which is campaigning against the cull, said it would “carefully consider” appealing against the Welsh judgment. Trust chairman David Williams said: “We hope that compassion and sense will prevail.”