NBA Disappointed by Welsh Decision to Vaccinate Badgers
2012-03-21

The National Beef Association (NBA) offers its sympathy to Welsh farmers following the decision not to cull badgers but embark on a vaccination programme instead.

Joanne Pugh, NBA Assistant Director, says: “We share the huge disappointment of Welsh farmers that no cull will now take place. It will be a hard blow for all cattle farmers in Wales, but particularly those in the Intensive Action Pilot Area who have been crippled by increased cattle controls on the – now empty – promise of a cull.

“The scientific review took a huge amount of time to conduct and, in our mind, has come to the wrong conclusion. We believe a combined approach of culling and vaccinating would achieve better results more quickly, and have huge concerns about the effectiveness of vaccinating sick badgers who are already carrying and spreading TB.

“The only consolation is that the English pilot is going ahead and will show politicians that farmers are able to undertake a cull and that it an effective and essential tool within the battle against TB. Once the English cull programme is successfully underway we feel there will be even more pressure on Wales to reconsider its stance and finally give its farmers a real solution to the TB crisis.”

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