AGAINST THE CULL
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FOR THE CULL
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They said the proposed cull was "hugely unpopular in north Pembrokeshire",
had divided communities and had affected tourism. "The science does not support
culling as TB actually increases in badgers as their social structure is
disrupted. The costs of a badger cull far outweigh any small benefits. An injectable badger vaccine
is now available this
is now a very attractive alternative for reducing TB in
Badgers. Vaccination works and as infected badgers die out the vaccination delivers similar results
to culling at lower cost."
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First Minister Carwyn Jones
The WAG were looking at the defeat in the courts which did not reflect poorly on Minister
Elin Jones (elin.jones@wales.gov.uk). "It's important that we deal with TB in Wales because it's a
growing problem" he said. "We will look at the judgment and we will decide how best to
proceed. We will consider the implications of the judgment, but what's
clear is that we cannot allow TB to increase year on year in Wales." |
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The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales
They said: "Research has repeatedly shown that the costs [of the cull] far outweigh
the benefits and that culling badgers could make the situation worse. "Responses we have received show that the cull is also deeply unpopular
amongst the general public and some landowners. It is also an unjustifiable cost in these times of financial austerity."
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NFU Cymru
They said the decision to stop the cull was a "bitterly
disappointing set-back". Stephen James,
NFU Cymru's deputy president, said: "64% of herds in the
Intensive Action Pilot Area (IAPA) have had bovine TB in the last six years and
in the absence of an integrated approach to TB eradication this number will only
increase. That means this insidious disease will continue to spread through the badger
population; it will continue to wreck the lives of a growing number of farming
families; more cattle and calves will be destroyed as a consequence of our
failure to tackle the problem in its totality and more businesses will be
ruined." |
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David Williams, Chairman of the
Badger Trust, said: "Although some farmers
may see this judgement as a setback, the massive body of rigorously
peer-reviewed literature shows that killing badgers can play no meaningful part
in the eradication of bovine TB and that robust cattle measures are sufficient."
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Farmers' Union of Wales
The FUW described it as a "bitterly disappointing
outcome". The focus must now be on looking at the judgement and drafting a further
order so that moves to address the problem in badgers can go ahead. Farmers are doing their bit to control this disease, yet the court has
decided that the most significant obstacle to controlling this disease, namely
an highly infected badger population, cannot be addressed until further
consideration of the facts is undertaken by the assembly's rural affairs
minister." |
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Peter Black, Liberal Democrat AM for south Wales west
"Trials of a new badger vaccine are already under way in England and the
minister should look at this method of control as a matter of urgency," he said.
"I will be urging her (Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones) to initiate her own
vaccination trial in the former-cull area alongside the cattle control measures
she has already announced." |
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Nerys Evans, Plaid Cymru AM for mid and west Wales
"It is important that we recognise fully just how hard TB is hitting our
farming industry, our rural communities and the Wales public finances
generally," she said. "We're talking about tens of millions of pounds being paid in compensation
every year because of this disease that has been allowed to rage unchallenged
for far too long." |
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The RSPCA
The animal welfare charity said: "We do not believe that the science
justifies it and we believe that vaccination, increased levels of testing,
improved bio security and stricter controls on the movement of cattle are more
sustainable and effective ways of reducing the incidence of bovine TB in
cattle."
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The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary
Association (BCVA)
The BVA, said: "Whilst we are deeply
disappointed with this judgement it is important to note that the Court of
Appeal decision is based on the way the
WAG came to its
decision and not on the scientific evidence."
The BCVA TB Group, said: "It is important that the
WAG, after consideration of the reasoning for the judgement
made, continues to pursue the strategy of this broad, multi-faceted approach to
bovine TB; one that should include the option of additional controls of
infection in the badger population." |
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