Badger culls only have ‘modest’ effect on stopping cattle disease, report finds

The controversial badger culls used to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis are being hampered by cattle-trading and poor biosecurity on farms, an independent review has found.

Up to 42,000 badgers will be shot this year.

The researchers said that it is wrong to blame badgers as the main cause of outbreaks, in an independent review commissioned by Michael Gove.

The scientist said it’s ‘highly desirable’ to move to vaccination of badgers instead of culls, and for farmers to implement other measures to control the spread of disease.

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The researchers, led by Prof Sir Charles Godfray of Oxford University, suggest that while culling badgers does have a ‘modest’ effect, the farming industry also needs to use other measures.

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Professor Godfray told The Guardian, ‘It is wrong to use this as an excuse not to make hard decisions in the industry, which unfortunately is going to cost them money.’

‘We are still concerned about the amount of cattle movements that happen in this country. The number is really high.’