Owen Paterson hits back at vets' claims over badger culling

In a letter to the Veterinary Record, 19 vets raised concerns about claims badger culling is needed to combat tuberculosis in cattle, saying few countries had needed to kill wildlife as part of the tuberculosis control programmes.

But the Environment Secretary and North Shropshire MP said that the culling is absolutely essential when it comes to controlling bovine TB.

He said: "I have read the claims, and I totally disagree. It is absolutely essential that we continue with this as we have to get rid of the problem.

"We need to follow the Republic of Ireland, and target the wildlife as they have done.

"It has reduced the number of infected cattle from 44,903 in 1999 to 15,612 last year, which proves that we need to follow their example."

Vets claimed there were similar declines in TB in cattle in Northern Ireland, where culling has not been used.

But Mr Paterson argued: "This is simply not true. There have not been the same kind of reductions in places where wildlife has not been targeted."

Figures released today claim that just four of of 2,000 badgers culled in trials last year were actually tested for TB. Carcasses of animals killed were incinerated and the four tested were done so at the request of a landowner. Critics say that more of the culled badgers should have been tested to investigate the link between the animals and the 32,000 TB-infected cattle that had to be slaughtered last year.

Mr Paterson said he stood by the need to cull badgers and rejected repeated calls from animal welfare groups for an alternative vaccination programme.

He said: "We have tried vaccinations, but there is just not a vaccine for tuberculosis that works on badgers.

"I do want to see healthy cattle living alongside healthy badgers.

"Sadly we do not have a cattle vaccine and one that works in badgers and so we must go about it in this way."