Northern Ireland considers badger cull

Northern Ireland could be the next country to consider a badger cull to help control bovine tuberculosis in cattle.

Agriculture minister Michelle O’Neill said her department was carefully monitoring developments in England as well as the development of a vaccine.

Amid growing pressure from farmers, tackling TB is becoming a key priority for the country.

Northern Ireland’s farmers are concerned about DARD’s plan to reduce compensation for infected cattle.

DARD executives have included a specific reference to TB eradication in the draft programme for government.

“The minister wants to build the evidence base to allow consideration of the role of further interventions in cattle and/or wildlife that could help to reduce TB as part of our eradication plan,” DARD spokesperson told the BBC.

“For example, interventions could relate to TB testing, cattle movement regime, biosecurity as well as interventions in badgers.”

Meanwhile, the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has accused the department of focusing on reducing costs while failing to produce a strategic plan to eradicate the disease.

“DARD is being very selective by highlighting that its move to cut compensation is in response to concerns from the EU that compensation is not being reappraised as part of our control programme.”
UFU President John Thompson.

The UFU said every year thousands of cattle are infected with TB and then slaughtered, only for restocked herds to be infected once again by badgers carrying the disease.

“DARD are being very selective by highlighting that their move to cut compensation is in response to concerns from the EU that compensation is not being reappraised as part of our control programme and is therefore putting money from the EU Veterinary Fund for this programme at risk,” said UFU President John Thompson.

“Yet they are not meaningfully addressing one of the other EU requirements for our control programme that action is to be taken on wildlife.”

More than 8000 cattle were culled in 2009 as TB reactors in Northern Ireland.

Two pilot badger culls are planned to go ahead later this year in south-west England, while plans in Wales are on hold.

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