Is the badger cull over?

The UK government’s Bovine TB Partnership Steering Group has published a report called "Bovine TB Control Strategy for England."  The report proposes a strategy with the aim of officially eradicating Bovine TB in England by 2038. 

Following evidence that demonstrates the majority of outbreaks are caused by cattle-to-cattle transmission, the new strategy places emphasis on cattle focused measures such as a cattle vaccination programme, improved biosecurity, and targeted bovine testing. 

This shift in focus is cause for celebration as previously bTB has been overwhelmingly blamed on badger populations who have subsequently suffered relentless year-on-year culling. 

International wildlife charity Born Free has welcomed this shift in strategy. Dr Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free, said: “We are pleased to finally see the shift in emphasis towards cattle-to-cattle transmission being the main driver of bovine TB spread, and the need to focus on cattle-based measures if the disease is to be brought under control.”

However, the government report does not entirely rule out badger culling as a method of tb control in “exceptional circumstances”. Culling remaining an option for tb control is nonsensical from a report that admits most infections occur between cattle. 

There is no evidence that the badger culling program reduced the spread of bTB; starting over 10 years ago and was responsible for killing over a quarter of a million badgers.  It remains a cruel and unnecessary approach to handling the disease. 

Furthermore, the government strategy includes the expansion of badger vaccination. This has drawn criticism from Born Free. They argue that an increased implementation of badger vaccination “continues to send a message to farmers and their vets that badgers are a problem” which could in the future lead to calls for a return to culling if the vaccinations become “too logistically difficult, or too expensive”. 

Whilst the report demonstrates a shift in strategy towards cattle based measures, UK wildlife remain at risk as long as governments continue to draw connections between badgers and bTB.