Opponents urge Welsh Government to abandon badger cull

Opponents urge Welsh Government to abandon badger cull

Opponents of a badger cull in north Pembrokeshire have called on the new Welsh Government to abandon the plan.

Environment Minister John Griffiths is due to make a statement on bovine tuberculosis (TB) policy on Tuesday.

But farming unions want ministers to stick with the cull - part of an attempt by the previous coalition government to combat TB in cattle.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has refused to say if the cull will go ahead.

The previous Labour-Plaid Cymru government planned to cull badgers alongside other measures to control TB in cattle in an area of the county

The cull was revived in March, eight months after the then coalition government was forced to shelve the proposal following a legal challenge by the Badger Trust.

Labour, who are now governing alone, promised a "science-led" approach towards bovine TB in its manifesto for May's assembly election.
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“Start Quote

The impact of a cull is to spread TB. A vaccination program would reduce the instances of TB”

End Quote Peter Black AM Liberal Democrat

In the previous coalition Welsh Government, the badger cull policy was advocated by then rural affairs minister, Plaid Cymru's Elin Jones.

Plaid rural affairs spokesman Llyr Huws Gruffydd told BBC Radio Wales: "The first minister and his colleagues must now stay the course and stick to the plan that has been carefully laid out by the previous government.

"If they don't it will be a very grim day for Welsh farming."

He said there was no new scientific evidence to support abandoning the planned cull.

"We've been through this quite recently and the decision was made that the cull was one part of a wider programme which includes other elements like increased bio-security and tighter restrictions on animal movement."

Earlier this month, the first minister said: "This is something that we look at continually, every week, every month to see what the most effective way of dealing with bovine TB is, which is a problem for a lot of dairy farmers in Wales."
'Abort'

Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, an opponent of the cull, said: "I hope the government is going to announce they've finally taken notice of the science, abort the cull and introduce a vaccination program.

"The impact of a cull is to spread TB. A vaccination program would reduce the instances of TB."

NFU Cymru deputy president Stephen James called on Mr Griffiths to "do the right thing", adding: "We look to the new Welsh Government to continue and progress their commitment and to now take tangible action with a view to eradicating this horrible disease."

FUW TB spokesman Brian Walters said: "The previous Welsh Government's position was based on firm science, and a protracted review of the science will only make matters worse."

Celia Thomas, chairwoman of Pembrokeshire Against the Cull, said the government should be looking at ways to vaccinate badgers.

"It's important to say we are not just sitting back. We are seriously looking at trying to get vaccination underway because TB is a huge problem," she said.

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