The pilot
badger culls in west Gloucester and west Somerset are dividing England, as
campaigners and government bodies jostle arguments of practicality over issues
of humanity.
Practices to
curb bovine TB stretch far beyond English shores and as countries such as
Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, achieve successful results through the
targeted use of culling, it is fast becoming an appealing prospect for the
English government.
TB Free
England is a prominent supporter of the badger cull in England and the
organisation's figures on the rising number of cattle killed due to bovine TB
are compelling. Since 1998 the number of cattle killed has quadrupled, 28,284
cattle were slaughtered last year compared to 6,000 in 1998.
However, Kate
Fowler from Animal Aid rejects claims that badgers are the primary contributing
factor to depleting cattle rates in England, she says: “Independent scientists
and wildlife experts agree it will not contribute meaningfully to the reduction
in bTB in cows. There are several other diseases and conditions that dairy cows
suffer from - including lameness and mastitis - that leads to the premature
deaths of many more cows than TB. Why scapegoat badgers? Shooting badgers in
the dark as they run for their lives is a welfare disaster.”
Ireland
Since the
Irish government extended its culling policy in 2004 the number for cattle
testing positive for the disease has dramatically decreased. In 2000 40,000
cattle were affected by the disease compared to 18,500 last year. Methods
include imposing traps and shooting badgers in zones situated 2km or less from
animal farmland. Following the enhanced legislation last year 7,000 badgers
were culled in Ireland. The Irish government’s willingness to impose culling
can be attributed to the fact that a large proportion of the Irish workforce
rely on dairy farming as a source of income, in 2011 the number of dairy
producers in the Irish Republic was shown to be 25 times greater than in the
Britain.
New
Zealand
New Zealand
is regarded as the poster-child for successful animal culling against bovine
TB. Since possums are non-native to New Zealand, authorities have been able to
aggressively target the population with relatively little resistance from the
public. The result has been that bovine TB is eradicated in ten out of New
Zealand's twenty-five previously affected locations. The number of herds
affected by TB in 2012 stood under 200.
Although New
Zealand has reduced TB by 94% since the culling of possums began in 1990, its
extensive use of the poisonous white powder has led many to question New its
ethical code. Animal deaths from consumption of 1080 poison range from six
hours to a unethical eighteen hours until the animal experiences cardiac
arrest. Its controversial use of 1080
poison in the culling of possums has attracted fierce criticism from animal
campaigners, such as Animal Aid who have labelled the practice ‘hideously
protracted'.
Australia
Through
intensive culling, quarantine and surveillance Australia has also reduced
bovine TB. Their success can be attributed to the rigorous targeting of the
feral buffalo population during the Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign. In
Kakadu National Park the aerial shooting of feral buffalo, reduced the population
from 20000 in 1979 to under 250 in 1996. Overall Australia has effectively
reduced the risk of bTB through targeted culling. Since the 1980s the
population of feral buffalo in northern Australia has plummeted from 350,000 to
an estimated 150,000 in 2008. Its last outbreak was reported in wild buffalo in
2002, but officials concede the ability to entirely cull the population is
impossible.
America
The US is no
stranger to animal culling with rigorous tests for bovine TB in the white deer
population beginning in 1995. Across the US there are an estimated 30 million
white-tailed deer and methods to cull the expanding population are met with
virulent opposition from campaigners and deer-friendly communities. The disease
which poses a threat to cattle herds is still prevalent in California and
Michigan. Following an outbreak last year, 23 animals were identified to have
contracted the disease. Although bovine TB is currently under control with
occasional sporadic outbreaks, it appears the US is yet to find a universally
accepted solution to control bovine TB long term.
Canada
Following a
series of TB related issues among wild elk in Manitoba, Canada during the 1990s
the government chose to tackle the bovine disease by implementing a series of
controls. Artificial barriers were erected to protect cattle populations, while
wildlife reservoirs were created to prevent the migration of infected herds
outside of Riding Mountain National Park. In 2009 the Canadian government
organised a cull of the remaining infected elk, but rather than simply destroy
affected populations, Canada's aerial cull also aimed to study bovine TB and
solve future potential outbreaks in cattle stock.
Wales
Between 2011
and 2012 reported cases of cattle carrying TB in Wales rose 15%, resulting in
the culling of 9,307 cows. The rising numbers have prompted the Welsh
government to find a long term solution
to the problem. Vaccines are now being used to raise immunity against bTB
within badgers. Intensive Action Areas have been set up in North Pembrokeshire
and parts of Ceredigion, and since May 1424 badgers have been vaccinated. In
the last five years 48,000 cows have been destroyed in Wales due to bovine TB,
and officials accept that the desired results from vaccination will not be
instantaneous.
A
spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: "There is no quick fix to
tackling this disease. It demands a sustainable and long-term approach that
includes a range of different measures, including strict biosecurity protocols
and cattle movement restrictions.
This should
over time result in a decrease in the level of infection and reduce the risk of
the disease spreading to cattle.”
Supporters
of the badger cull however remain doubtful of the longevity of the programme,
deeming it costly and and time-consuming. TB Free England estimate that the
total cost of the Welsh government's
five year vaccination programme will amount to an extortionate £3,310 per
badger.
With
countries around the world adopting different strategies towards tackling
bovine TB, will the aftermath of the badger culls in England encourage the
British government to consider alternative methods of bTB prevention? The
National Farmers Union has rejected vaccination as costly, but it may just be
the long-term solution needed to effectively tackle bovineTB.
Irrespective
of previous trials, animal campaigners remain doubtful that the badger cull
will have a significant effect on bTB rates and claim the logistics of the
operation are flawed. Kate Fowler says, “The marksmen are told to shoot animals
broadside, while the nearside front leg is forward to expose the heart, but not
near the sett or long grass - how are they supposed to shoot 5000 badgers in
six weeks while following those conditions? It is impossible.”
