Welsh Assembly report to call for pilot badger cull
The Welsh Assembly’s rural development sub committee has called for a pilot cull of badgers within an holistic approach to bovine TB control.
A full report on bovine TB in Wales will be published later today but some detail is already starting to emerge. “At present we are simply not convinced that we have the tools available at our disposal to either control or eliminate the disease,” said committee chairman Alun Davies AM.
“It is clear that the assembly government will need to make substantial investments in the animal disease control and biosecurity infrastructure in Wales.”
His report describes a “real link” between TB in cattle and wildlife and calls on farmers and wildlife groups to work together to “take ownership” of the problem.
Cattle testing
It urges the speedy and accurate identification of reactors and recommends annual testing of cattle, but warns that further urgent action is needed.
“While it may be possible to control the disease by implementing biosecurity measures alone, it is not possible to eradicate it in this way.”
The RSPCA has already countered the call for a wildlife cull claiming that this would make no meaningful contribution to solving the problem.