BBC Panorama to examine badger cull
The BBC is to broadcast a Panorama programme tonight examining the proposed cull of badgers in England to tackle bovine tuberculosis.
The 30-minute programme, Badgers: Dodging the Bullet, will feature interviews with farmers, supporters and opponents of the policy.
DEFRA secretary Owen Paterson has insisted that the badger cull will start next summer after it was postponed this autumn at the eleventh hour.
The NFU has written to Mr Paterson to request that the pilot culls in west Somerset and west Gloucestershire go ahead in 2013.
The cull was postponed this autumn after new survey results revealed higher than anticipated badger numbers in the two pilot areas.
In light of the new figures, the NFU said it was not confident of removing the required 70% of badgers in the pilot areas to make the cull a success.
DEFRA has agreed to postpone the pilot culls until the summer to allow farmers to plan the best chance of carrying out the cull effectively.
However, opponents of the cull, including Queen guitarist Brian May, have called for the policy to be scrapped altogether.
They claim culling badgers will have no significant impact in reducing bovine TB in cattle and want more emphasis placed on developing safe and effective vaccines.
A preview of the BBC programme stated: “Last month, days before it was due to start, the government suddenly postponed its controversial badger cull.
“The plan was to shoot thousands of badgers to try to control the spread of tuberculosis in cattle. Animal rights activists were ready for the biggest clash in the countryside since fox hunting was banned, while scientists questioned the evidence justifying the cull.
“In the face of this opposition, Panorama asks, will the government have the stomach to enforce the badger cull next year?”
Last year bovine TB led to the slaughter of 26,000 cattle in England, costing the taxpayer nearly £100m.
The government estimates that this figure will rise to £1bn over the next decade if the disease if left unchecked.
Badgers: Dodging the Bullet? will be shown on BBC One on Monday 12 November at 8.30pm.
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