Letter: Figures show culling of badgers fails to help control bovine TB
Daniel Kawczynski MP has said "They have had these trials of culling badgers in two areas of the country and they have got very positive results" while Owen Paterson MP has said that the badger cull has been "an astonishing success".
Mr Kawczynski also said "of 100 dairy herds in Somerset the number affected by TB has dropped from 30 to 10".
However, what neither Mr Kawczynski or Mr Paterson say is that these figures are not scientifically recognised and are anecdotal evidence only. In fact, using data from the government's own website (www.ibtb.co.uk) the evidence suggests that outbreaks of bovine TB have gone up in both areas of the country where the pilot culls took place. In Somerset there were 24 bTB breakdowns in 2013 but in 2015 there have been 32, while in Gloucestershire there were 38 bTB breakdowns in 2013 but there have been 48 so far in 2015.
In Dorset, where a badger cull had been proposed for this year, there were 26 bTB breakdowns in 2013 but there have only been 20 so far this year – a fall in numbers without a cull.
The overarching conclusion of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, which ran from 1998 to 2006, was that "badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control." (Bourne, 2007).
This is the evidence of a scientific study and not mere anecdotes.
The cost of the badger cull in 2013 was almost £10 million, yet vaccinating badgers would be much cheaper and far less cruel. Scientific studies (Carter, 2012) have shown that vaccination reduces the risk of active tuberculosis by 76 per cent in vaccinated badgers and by 79 per cent in unvaccinated cubs.
These figures can be confirmed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. In Wales where a programme of vaccinating badgers has taken place 94 per cent of cattle are free from tuberculosis. I look forward to Mr Kawczynski and Mr Paterson providing concrete evidence for their claims.
Simon Owen, Wellington
