Badger Cull Licenses

I share the concerns of many in our farming and wider community about the importance of working to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB).

I welcomed the government’s announced intention to end badger culling. This should be brought forward quickly and is backed by evidence-based strategies to improve cattle testing, better address cattle biosecurity measures and invest in cattle vaccination and the crucial and long-promised DIVA (to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals) test.

More research is essential, given the complex and challenging nature of this issue. You might already be aware that I jointly set up the first community-led badger vaccination program in the UK, in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and continue to maintain contact with members of the government’s Bovine TB (Eradication) Partnership.

I continue to monitor this topic to push for more solutions.