Badgers to be shot in drive to control rise in bovine TB

But first there will be more public consultation, so it is now impossible for the first 10-week trials of culling, in the South-West, can start before next year.

Ministers agonised over the decision because of the risk of confrontation between farmers and animal rights activists.

But Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, said yesterday: “This terrible disease is getting worse and we’ve got to deal with the devastating impact on farmers and rural communities.

“Many farmers are desperate. No country in the world has successfully controlled TB in cattle without addressing its presence in wildlife.

“Ultimately, we want to be able to vaccinate both cattle and badgers, and we’re investing in research. But we simply can’t afford to keep waiting.

“I know a large section of the public is opposed to culling. I wish there was some other practical way of dealing with this.”

Farmers’ representatives welcomed the announcement with passion. But there was equal vehemence from their opposition. And campaigners for a review of bovine TB policy pointed out there was an option Mrs Spelman’s announcement did not mention – vaccination of cattle with existing medicines, which are not on the EU approved list.

It would mean sacrificing live cattle exports, because it would not be possible to distinguish between immunised animals and TB carriers. But it might be cheaper than the current policy, which required the slaughter of 25,000 cattle in England last year, followed by compensation for the farmers.

At the same time as considering the badger cull, Defra has been confronted with evidence that some farmers are milking the compensation system by keeping valuable breeding animals which have tested positive and sending others to slaughter.

For the past three months, Defra has been requiring DNA tests on condemned animals, so identification can be checked. Mrs Spelman said this policy would become permanent.

She has also tightened the rules on how herds are declared TB-free and removed some exemptions for movement licences, all of which will mean more testing of cattle. To comment, see http://tinyurl.com/3hmn66c/

NFU president Peter Kendall said: “I join with farmers up and down the country in breathing an enormous sigh of relief.”

But the League Against Cruel Sports said: “It’s against the wishes of the country and farmers will pay twice – once for the cull and once for its failure.”