Wildlife Trust "extremely disappointed" at cull announcement (From Western Telegraph)

Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales "extremely disappointed" at north Pembrokeshire badger cull announcement

10:22am Thursday 14th January 2010 in News

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) has expressed its extreme disappointment at yesterday's announcement that the Welsh Assembly Government has approved the culling of badgers as part of its bovine TB (bTB) Eradication Programme.

All six wildlife trusts in Wales have opposed the cull since the measures were originally proposed.

WTSWW, which owns and manages nature reserves within the Intensive Action Pilot Area (IAPA) will see its nature reserves directly affected by the badger cull.

There are atotal of seven WTSWW nature reserves inside the IAPA. They are:

• Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve on the Pembrokeshire / Ceredigion Border
• Pengelli Forest in Pembrokeshire
• Coed Pont Bren in north Pembrokeshire
• Cemaes Head in north Pembrokeshire
• Coed Maidie B Goddard in south Ceredigion
• Llanerch Alder Carr in north Pembrokeshire
• Penralltfach in north Pembrokeshire

Sarah Kessell, chief executive of WTSWW, said: “As livestock owners ourselves, we have a vested interest in finding an effective solution to the problem of bTB.

"However, we strongly oppose the cull, because the science simply does not support it.

"The Independent Scientific Group (ISG) report on TB in cattle stated that culling badgers would not solve the problem - and that such action could even make things worse.”

“We have worked hard to oppose the cull. We have worked with WAG through their consultation process, lobbied politicians, held events to raise awareness about the issues surrounding the cull, and were due to meet with Dr Christianne Glossop in the next couple of weeks to discuss these issues further.

"We were therefore extremely disappointed to hear that the proposal has now been approved.”

Dr Lizzie Wilberforce, Conservation Manager at WTSWW, added: “The evidence suggests that badger culling will make no meaningful contribution to the control of bTB.

"We therefore have to be concerned that any positive impact made by the combined approaches of culling and increased biosecurity in the IAPA will be mistakenly used as proof that culling works, and to justify an expansion of the pilot”.

“The Wildlife Trusts believe that there should be a programme of vaccination of badgers, more effective testing of cattle, and greater biosecurity on farms. A combination of these three things is the answer – not culling.”