More counties ask for badger culling licences to fight TB

The government agency in charge of issuing badger culling licences has received a “number of expressions of interest” from farmers seeking to extend the cull to other areas where bovine TB is rife.

Natural England asked potential applicants to submit expressions of interest for badger control licences for 2015 onwards.

A spokeswoman for Natural England said: “Expressions of interest have been received from other areas.”

See also: More urgency needed on badger cull rollout

It is understood that officials from the Defra agency are speaking to culling operators and landowners in several areas about their interest and it expects some to submit formal applications soon.

However, ministers will have the final say over whether to extend the cull to other areas this year, or in 2016.

Autumn cull

The third year of the badger cull pilots in Somerset and Gloucestershire is due to begin this autumn.

As part of its 25-year TB eradication policy in England, the Conservative government has pledged to extend culling to other “TB hotspots”.

Devon, Cornwall and Dorset are all on the list of counties that include farming groups that have expressed interest in introducing badger culling, as part of efforts to tackle the reservoir of disease in wildlife.

However, it is understood that expressions of interest have been submitted from groups as far north as Staffordshire.

Farmer frustration

The NFU said farmers were growing frustrated at a lack of action surrounding the rollout of the cull to other areas.

Union president Meurig Raymond has called on the government to widen the culls to other areas “as a matter of urgency”.

Defra said it remains “committed” to widening the culls to other counties where TB is rife.

“The government is committed to our strategy of making England free of bovine TB, of which culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife is a key element.”
Defra spokesman

A Defra spokesman said: “Expressions of interest in extending the cull have been made to Natural England from a number of areas which will be considered in due course.

“The government is committed to our strategy of making England free of bovine TB, of which culling badgers in areas where the disease is rife is a key element.”

The Badger Trust said it would continue to push the government to stop the cull, which it described as a “complete disaster on scientific, cost and humaneness grounds”.

Dominic Dyer, CEO of the Badger Trust, said: “The only way the badger culls can now continue is if a majority of badgers to be killed are trapped in cages and then shot.

“However, based on the government’s own cost estimates this will come in at £3,500/sq km compared to £3,250 for trapping and vaccinating badgers.

“To continue this summer with such a costly, deeply flawed and unpopular badger culling policy in Gloucestershire and Somerset, when vaccinating badgers is cheaper and more humane is a national disgrace.”