Work on a new bovine tuberculosis (TB) strategy has been launched by the government to end the badger cull and drive down infection rates.
In the last decade, over 278,000 cattle have been compulsorily slaughtered and over 230,000 badgers have been culled, costing the taxpayer more than £100m each year.
This new strategy will see the government work with farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists to strengthen and deploy disease control measures.
It includes:
- First badger population survey in over a decade: The last major badger survey was carried out between 2011-13, leaving policymakers with no clear idea of the impact culling techniques have on our badger populations. The Government will work at pace to launch a new survey this winter to estimate badger abundance and population recovery to illustrate the impact of widespread culling over the past decade.
- New national wildlife surveillance programme: After a decade of culling, the prevalence of TB in remaining badger populations is largely unknown. The development of a new national wildlife surveillance programme will provide an up-to-date understanding of disease in badgers and other wildlife such as deer. Together with updated estimates of badger abundance, this will unlock a data-driven approach to inform how and where TB vaccines and other eradication measures are rapidly deployed to drive down TB rates and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
- Establish a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force: Badger vaccinations create progressively healthier badger populations that are less susceptible to catching and transmitting TB. A new Badger Vaccinator Field Force will increase badger vaccination at pace to drive down TB rates and protect badgers.
- Badger vaccination study: To supplement the Field Force, the Government will rapidly analyse the effect of badger vaccination on the incidence of TB in cattle to encourage farmers to take part and provide greater confidence that doing so will have a positive effect on their cattle.
In addition, work on a cattle vaccine will be accelerated, with the next stage of field trials commencing in the coming months.
The full strategy will be co-designed with farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists, and will consider a range of measures including boosting cattle testing, reducing spread through cattle movements and introducing a widescale badger vaccination.
Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner said: “Bovine tuberculosis has devastated British farmers and wildlife for far too long.
“It has placed dreadful hardship and stress on farmers who continue to suffer the loss of valued herds and has taken a terrible toll on our badger populations.
“No more. Our comprehensive TB eradication package will allow us to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament and stop the spread of this horrific disease.”
Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most difficult and prolonged animal disease challenges we face, causing devastation for farming communities.
“There is no single way to combat it, and a refreshed strategy will continue to be led by the very best scientific and epidemiological evidence. With the disease on a downward trajectory, we are at a crucial point. Working in collaboration with government and stakeholders will be the only way we achieve our target to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in England by 2038.”
John Cross, chair of the bTB Partnership said: “As chair of the bTB Partnership for England, I am delighted to hear Minister Zeichner’s intention to refresh the current bTB strategy. Ten years after its launch, the time is right to look again at the tools we use to tackle this persistent disease.
“Bovine TB is the common enemy, not farmers or wildlife groups. Only by working together, will we reach our goal.”
The government will also publish information about animal and herd-level risk on ibTB, a free to access interactive map designed to help farmers understand the level of risk in their area.