Badger culling is to be extended to parts of Wales

[llamedos]

t will be used at a farm-scale level if infected badgers are found on a site.

This is despite scientific evidence that culling at a local level increases TB infection in cattle.

The announcement was made by the country's Chief Vet, Prof Christianne Glossop, at a symposium on cattle TB in London.

Source BBC News

 

[Paddington]

Typical BBC bias, the symposium it refers to was the one organised by Brian May....yet the BBC does not mention this, what a surprise !

 

[AGN76]

"I agree that there is a risk, but some of these farms have been under TB restrictions for over 10 years. We have removed cattle after cattle, increased biosecurity - but the farmer still has TB infection," she explained.

Sounds like common sense to try something else

 

[RobFZS]

This is despite scientific evidence that culling at a local level increases TB infection in cattle.

This tells us all we need to know

 

[matthew]

t will be used at a farm-scale level if infected badgers are found on a site.

This is despite scientific evidence that culling at a local level increases TB infection in cattle.

The announcement was made by the country's Chief Vet, Prof Christianne Glossop, at a symposium on cattle TB in London.

Source BBC News

That would be the 'scientific evidence' gathered by the RBCT in their so-called Reactive cull? Mmmmmm.
Coming Twice in 3 years?
Culling for 8 nights in well advertised areas, using cage traps?
And then abandoned in 2003.

Thrown to the berluddy wolves, more like.

Of course localised culling , targeting infectious groups in response to reactor maps, works. The bigger area the better. Where it will not work is if the idiots who claim to understand these things, use farm boundaries and not badger territories. And exclude setts in woodland or arable. Or limit any cull to farms who have 'only' had at least 2 confirmed reactors. And leave a huge opportunity for sows to replace any culls by rearing cubs in glorious isolation, until May.

That is the half baked strategy which was operated for ten years prior to the moratorium in 1997. And all the emphasis was and still is, on berluddy badgers. No mention of zoonotic Tuberculosis, and governmental responsibility for its eradication to protect human health.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Christine Glossop has released a statement saying BBC has got it wrong and they have not announced culling and at present there is no change to their TB eradication programme.

 

[Wendy10]

????????

 

[Steevo]

Having spotted this thread I did a quick search to see the outcome of the culling in England last year. as I couldn't remember the outcome. That led me to @matthews blog as the best source of TB info though I haven't checked it for a while.

WOW!! I must say I truly take my hat off to you on that!! Tirelessly plugging away keeping it updated with relevant and informative articles. I don't think I know of a single blog run by an individual that has managed such frequent posts with such intelligence and detail without boring the reader with repeats. Well done Matthew, keep up the excellent work!!!

 

[matthew]

Sad though isn't it? ^^

Glossop has sat on the proverbial for years. Too a veterinary colleague and very much off the record, she insisted she could be of more influence on the WAG inside that out. Personally, I've yet to see evidence of that.

At the same badger love-in, Ian Boyd stated that compensation was driving TB. Is he right?

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/farmers-are-paid-to-tolerate-bovine-tb-claims-scientist-qb9q32nkt

 

[topground]

Without compensation for reactors would there be any Badgers left alive in areas where they are clearly the wildlife reservoir of Tb infection infecting cattle?

 

[matthew]

Without compensation for reactors would there be any Badgers left alive in areas where they are clearly the wildlife reservoir of Tb infection infecting cattle?

Possibly not.
But those farmers whose sentinel cattle are testing clear would probably want to keep theirs. But also control numbers.
It's called 'management'.

 

[Wendy10]

According to tomorrows Farmers Gaurdian, they are talking about the Badger cull in Wales?