Dairy Event 2010: Paice reasserts commitment to badger cull
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out a targeted badger cull to tackle bovine tuberculosis.
Speaking at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show at the NEC in Birmingham on Tuesday (7 September), farm minister Jim Paice said he hoped to make an announcement “within weeks” about the government’s plans to implement a cull.
“I hope to be in a position to take forward the commitment to the coalition government’s agreement which is to lead a cull as part of a range of measures,” he said.
Mr Paice said he had followed the progress of the legal challenge to the proposed badger cull in Wales and was trying to come up with a plan he felt could stand up legally.
“I am very conscious we will almost certainly have a legal challenge and anything we have to do is with the intention that we can overcome that challenge,” he added.
“But I can’t be 100% confident that we will be able resist that challenge.”
William Worsley, Country Land and Business Association president, welcomed Mr Paice’s confirmation that a badger cull would go ahead.
“Permitting a cull in the worst affected parts of England is absolutely the right decision.
“I have no doubt that this essential culling would be carried out in a professional way and with significant amounts of monitoring to make sure all conservation and welfare concerns would be addressed.”