Government vows to end badger cull in next five years

The government wants to implement a "badger vaccinator field force" to inoculate the creatures en masse - after around a quarter of a million were culled in the past 10 years. Government figures show slightly more than 3,000 badgers were vaccinated last year.

Tim Baker

Political reporter

Friday 30 August 2024 12:20, UK

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The government is pledging to end the culling of badgers within the next five years.

The controversial practice has seen more than 230,000 badgers killed in the past decade in a bid to reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

More than 278,000 cattle have been killed to try and control the disease in the same period. These measures have cost taxpayers north of £100m.

Instead of culling the striped mammals, Labour wants to implement a vaccination strategy to protect both cows and badgers.

This will include introducing a new "badger vaccinator field force", as well as a survey of the badger population and TB infection rates.

The plan is to end the cull by the end of the current parliament - which expires in summer 2029.

Minister for food security and rural affairs Daniel Zeichner said: "Bovine tuberculosis has devastated British farmers and wildlife for far too long.

"It has placed dreadful hardship and stress on farmers who continue to suffer the loss of valued herds and has taken a terrible toll on our badger populations.

"No more. Our comprehensive TB eradication package will allow us to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament and stop the spread of this horrific disease."

Campaigners like Queen guitarist Brian May have long campaigned for an end to the cull, while some farmers have argued to increase it to protect livestock from tuberculosis.

The government wants to use a "data-led and scientific approach" to end the badger cull - and is planning to "accelerate work on the development of a cattle vaccine" for the disease.

The government confirmed existing culls will go ahead to ensure clarity for farmers.

Tom Bradshaw, the president of the National Farmers Union, said it was "encouraging" the government was looking to develop a TB eradication strategy.

But he said it was "absolutely vital" that all methods were considered in controlling the "devastating disease".

Mr Bradshaw said: "This terrible disease continues to plague farmers and their livestock, and while significant elements of the government's proposed TB strategy are still being researched and are not yet deployable at scale, they must not overlook the contribution of the tried, tested and successful disease control model."

Professor Lord John Krebs, emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Oxford, said it was a "welcome shift in policy" to recognise that culls were "not going to eradicate bovine TB" as most cases were from cattle to cattle transmission.

How to vaccinate a badger

Badgers already get vaccinated for TB in various parts of the UK.

According to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the animals get inoculated by hand.

They get trapped in cages and jabbed, before being released back into the wild. This is normally done while they are awake, although some get anaesthetised briefly to check the vaccine is working.

A tag or microchip is also attached to show the animal has already been jabbed.

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According to the latest figures provided by the government, the badger vaccination season runs from May to November.

In 2023, a total of 3,064 animals were inoculated.

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