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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Science chief urges badger cull | Science chief urges badger cull |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The UK government's chief scientist advised ministers that badgers should be killed to prevent the spread of TB among cattle, the BBC has learned. | The UK government's chief scientist advised ministers that badgers should be killed to prevent the spread of TB among cattle, the BBC has learned. |
| Sir David King says culling could be effective in areas that are contained, for example, by the sea or motorways. | Sir David King says culling could be effective in areas that are contained, for example, by the sea or motorways. |
| His report follows a previous study that said culling badgers would be ineffective. | |
| The Independent Scientific Group found that targeting one site would only cause badgers to flee to other farms. | The Independent Scientific Group found that targeting one site would only cause badgers to flee to other farms. |
| Sir David told the BBC "now is the time for action". | Sir David told the BBC "now is the time for action". |
| "It is clear to us that while it's important that TB controls in cattle are improved, as long as infectivity remains significantly in the wildlife population, as it is in badgers, then we also have to address the problem in badgers," he said. | |
| He said his study was a "piece of commentary" on the "excellent" ISG report. | |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Why not look at inoculating the cattle instead of culling badgers? Rebecca Bradbury, Exeter Send us your comments | |
| He spoke to five experts who had unaminously agreed that "as long as there is infectivity in wildlife we will not remove TB from cattle". | |
| About 2,500 cattle a year get bovine tuberculosis (bTB), and some 30,000 stock are killed every year because of the disease, according to the National Farmers' Union. | About 2,500 cattle a year get bovine tuberculosis (bTB), and some 30,000 stock are killed every year because of the disease, according to the National Farmers' Union. |
| The union also believes a cull is necessary to curb TB in cattle. | |
| The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it welcomed Sir David's report and would consider its recommendations. | The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it welcomed Sir David's report and would consider its recommendations. |
| 'Counterproductive' | 'Counterproductive' |
| The independent group's (ISG) findings, published in June, said badgers did play a role in the spread of bTB. | The independent group's (ISG) findings, published in June, said badgers did play a role in the spread of bTB. |
| However, it warned that the culling would have to be so extensive it would be uneconomical. | However, it warned that the culling would have to be so extensive it would be uneconomical. |
| Professor John Bourne, author of the ISG report, said there were "great inconsistencies" in Sir David's report. | Professor John Bourne, author of the ISG report, said there were "great inconsistencies" in Sir David's report. |
| He said Sir David's recommendations were not consistent with the scientific findings of his report but were "consistent with the political need to do something about it". | He said Sir David's recommendations were not consistent with the scientific findings of his report but were "consistent with the political need to do something about it". |
| "If you wish to go down the culling route, you have to do what the Irish are doing in large parts of their country and that is eliminate," he added. | "If you wish to go down the culling route, you have to do what the Irish are doing in large parts of their country and that is eliminate," he added. |
| "Our findings show that if you don't want to go that far, then culling badgers will be counterproductive." | "Our findings show that if you don't want to go that far, then culling badgers will be counterproductive." |
| Sir David denied he was influenced by government. | |
| "I would never give advice based on pressure from politicians - that's precisely what went wrong in the BSE episode," he told the BBC. | |
| Elimination | Elimination |
| The ISG assessed the results of a nine-year experiment to discover whether killing badgers would stem the spread of disease. | The ISG assessed the results of a nine-year experiment to discover whether killing badgers would stem the spread of disease. |
| The problem we are up against is everyone has the image of lovely, fluffy badgers galloping about, but cows are also entitled to lives Farmer Peter Ganblett It found that although TB infection dropped in the immediate area of the cull, it increased on adjoining farms, in effect shifting rather than solving the problem. | The problem we are up against is everyone has the image of lovely, fluffy badgers galloping about, but cows are also entitled to lives Farmer Peter Ganblett It found that although TB infection dropped in the immediate area of the cull, it increased on adjoining farms, in effect shifting rather than solving the problem. |
| Dr Richard Yarnell from the Badger Trust said the latest report amounted to a "shameful political fix" and it "beggared belief" that the government was even thinking about implementing a cull. | Dr Richard Yarnell from the Badger Trust said the latest report amounted to a "shameful political fix" and it "beggared belief" that the government was even thinking about implementing a cull. |
| Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, told the BBC the disease was "devastating" many farming communities and the government should take heed of the new recommendation. | Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, told the BBC the disease was "devastating" many farming communities and the government should take heed of the new recommendation. |
| "This is the chief scientific officer to the government, so I'm hoping that this will be treated with great seriousness by the government and they will take a positive decision on the back of it," he said. | "This is the chief scientific officer to the government, so I'm hoping that this will be treated with great seriousness by the government and they will take a positive decision on the back of it," he said. |
| Farmer Peter Ganblett from Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, said farmers had exhausted all the advised preventative measures, including putting feed troughs higher and trying to keep badgers out of buildings. | Farmer Peter Ganblett from Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, said farmers had exhausted all the advised preventative measures, including putting feed troughs higher and trying to keep badgers out of buildings. |
| "All those things we have done to no avail because the one aspect no one has been prepared to look at is the link between cattle and badgers," he said. | "All those things we have done to no avail because the one aspect no one has been prepared to look at is the link between cattle and badgers," he said. |
| BADGER CULL TRIALS 30 areas of the country, each 100 square km10 culled proactively, 10 reactively, 10 not culledBadgers culled through being caught in cage and then shotIncidence of bovine TB measured on farms inside and outside study areasReactive culling suspended in 2003 after significant rise in infectionTrial cost £7m per year | BADGER CULL TRIALS 30 areas of the country, each 100 square km10 culled proactively, 10 reactively, 10 not culledBadgers culled through being caught in cage and then shotIncidence of bovine TB measured on farms inside and outside study areasReactive culling suspended in 2003 after significant rise in infectionTrial cost £7m per year |
| "The problem we are up against is everyone has the image of lovely, fluffy badgers galloping about, but cows are also entitled to lives. | "The problem we are up against is everyone has the image of lovely, fluffy badgers galloping about, but cows are also entitled to lives. |
| "We are doing all we can to control it in cattle and we need to be able to control it in badgers." | "We are doing all we can to control it in cattle and we need to be able to control it in badgers." |
| Speaking about one cow who had just tested positive for bTB, he said: "She's effectively on death row. | |
| "She's seven years old, in peak condition, has had three calves, and produced about 50,000 litres of milk which would keep seven households in milk for five years." | |
| While most cattle farmers may support a cull, it would prove unpopular with the public. | While most cattle farmers may support a cull, it would prove unpopular with the public. |
| A government consultation of more than 47,000 people found that more than 95% of people were opposed to the idea. | A government consultation of more than 47,000 people found that more than 95% of people were opposed to the idea. |