Comment

The Government must have the courage to tackle an animal disease which has brought widespread human and economic misery, harm to animal welfare and pushed some parts of the farming industry to breaking point - according to experts at the CLA, the Country Land and Business Association.

The CLA says that for too long the debate on Bovine TB has been clouded by politics rather than public interest and livestock farmers have been left fighting a disease with both hands tied behind their backs. Now the CLA's animal health spokesman, Jim Webster, says the Association is offering to work with the Government to tackle the problem head on with positive and decisive action - which includes culling badgers.

A report by the select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, published yesterday (Wednesday February 27) has admitted that the Government's current method of attempting to control Bovine TB - surveillance, testing and slaughter - is not working.

The CLA says the key facts in the report - which is based on research by the Government's own scientists - are the recognition that Badger culling can play a significant part in bringing the disease under control, plus the recommendation that Defra should continue to invest in research which will fill in the knowledge gaps and help bring about the total eradication of the disease.

"This report supports the CLA's long standing argument that only concerted and sustained effort against all vectors of this disease can actually bring it under control and achieve eradication - and that must include the option to cull badgers in certain circumstances. Of course, welfare issues must be taken into consideration - but we are at last moving away from simply talking about TB in cattle, and accepting that there is TB in badgers, TB in the deer population and TB in domestic animals - and that it is spreading unchecked," said Mr. Webster.

He said that less than 30 years ago, the Government and the industry, working in partnership and using the combination of cattle testing and badger culling, had reduced the incidence of TB to less than 0.1% . Currently nearly 19% of herds in the west of the country are under TB restriction.

"The CLA - and other land managers - support a comprehensive approach, encompassing both cattle and wildlife measures, which will eradicate this pernicious disease. We hope that we can once again work in partnership with the Government and that the Minister will take notice of the recommendations in this report - including culling where appropriate - and move to implement them without further delay," he said.

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