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Following a four month lull since the publication of the report on bovine TB and badgers by the Independent Science Group in June, I was shocked when Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, announced his approval on 22nd October for a of badger cull in hot spot areas.
The Government is still to decide whether or not to follow his advice.
The arguments continue, but the letter printed in "The Independent" on 27th October puts the case against a cull more succinctly and forcefully than anything I have read.
Badger-cull trial was not flawed
Sir, It is ludicrous to claim that the RSPCA condones the unnecessary suffering of any animal. The R SPCA is as concerned about cattle welfare as wildlife welfare but killing badgers is never going to be the simple solution to the complex problem of TB in cattle.
It is disingenuous to talk about the cull of infected badgers. There is no reliable test to detect TB in live, free, wild badgers. Any badger cull would include more healthy than diseased badgers.
The badger-culling trial was not flawed. In his final report, Professor Denis Mollison, the independent statistical auditor of the independent Scientific Group (ISG) trial, expressed the hope that the work of the ISG would be recognised "as an exemplar of how to bring high quality science into public decision making."
The RSPCA supported the ISG research, despite the large numbers of badgers that died in the process, because we recognised the need for firm scientific evidence. The resulting ISG report is thorough, impeccable science and effectively rules out a badger cull as a sustainable and practical solution to the bTB problem.
The ISG findings have appeared in world-renowned scientific journals and been subjected to rigorous peer-review. None of the ISG's critics have subjected their claims to similar scientific scrutiny.
To proceed with a badger cull would make nonsense of the ISG research which took almost ten years, cost the lives of more than 10,000 badgers and cost taxpayers £34m. It would also be the worst possible option for cattle and badgers.
Dr Julia Wrathall. HEAD OF FARM ANIMAL SCIENCE
Dr Rob Atkinson HEAD OF WILDLIFE SCIENCE, RSPCA, HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX
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We have been fighting to appose a possible cull for about ten years. Now is our last chance to persuade the Government that a cull would not work.
The strongest argument against a cull is the situation in Southern Ireland, where badgers have been almost completely eradicated but there are twice as many cases of bovine TB than in the UK although there is only half the number of cattle.
Monica A Ward
Chairperson of South Yorkshire Badger Group
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