August 2008

We recognise that Bovine tuberculosis (Bovine TB) is a notifiable disease of cattle, with potentially huge economic and social impacts on beef and dairy farmers, particularly in South West England, Northern Island, the Midlands and southern Wales.

Cattle and badger-based control strategies have failed to eradicate Bovine TB from the UK cattle herd and the incidence of the disease is rising (by c.18 per cent per year). Control of the Bovine TB is a priority for us, not least because our tenants’ herds of cattle and so their livelihoods are potentially at risk.

We do not object to the culling of badgers to control Bovine TB as a matter of principle, but believe that such control must be based on science, and accept the results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCT) – in which we took part and which involved culling badgers on our land. These have been peer – reviewed and published in the highest quality journals and in the Final Report of the Independent Scientific Group (ISG), the body that oversaw the trials.

The ISG concluded that badgers were part of the Bovine TB problem in cattle. Removal of badgers resulted in a reduction in the incidence of herd breakdowns which was statistically significant but small (less than 25 per cent). Other factors, especially cattle to cattle transmission, were considered to be more important in the transmission of the disease.

The ISG also reported that around the periphery of cull areas the incidence of Bovine TB increased. This was due to a perturbation effect whereby, because of the cull, badgers became more mobile and contributed to a locally high incidence of herd breakdowns. Thus culling badgers could actually be counterproductive. To achieve the modest reduction in Bovine TB in cattle and minimise the perturbation effect the ISG set down three criteria that should be met before considering a cull.

1. The cull area should be large (more than c. 300 sq km)
2. The cull should be efficient and conducted over at least 3 years
3. The cull area should have badger-proof boundaries in order to minimise perturbation.

In April 2008, the Minister for Rural Affairs, Wales Assembly Government (WAG), announced the implementation of an eradication programme for Bovine TB in Wales which included a one-off test for all cattle herds and a revised compensation regime for disease and condemned (reactor) cattle.  The Minister proposed identifying an intensive action pilot area within a TB hotspot where there would be increased surveillance, rapid removal of reactor cattle, increased biosecurity, pre-movement testing, movement controls and a cull of badgers.

The Chief Vet for Wales, in a meeting with the National Trust, agreed that in addition to the ethical, ecological and legal requirements set down by the Minister, the ISG’s three criteria should be taken into account when considering a cull. In addition, we asked that if the intention of a cull is to act as a trial of the various measures, their implementation within the intensive action pilot area should be sequenced. There should also be enough time between introducing the measures to assess changes in the incidence of Bovine TB. This is to tease apart what measures resulted in the biggest reductions in the disease. We will continue to contribute to support eradication of Bovine TB in Wales through the Welsh Assembly Government TB Forum.

In July 2008, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced that, in England, there would be no licences issued for culling badgers to reduce Bovine TB in cattle. The Secretary of State, basing his judgement partly on the results of the RBCT, judged that the risk of culls either not reducing or increasing the incidence of the disease in cattle was too high.  Mr Benn proposed other measures, especially increasing resources for research and development into vaccines for badgers and cattle. An injectable vaccine for badgers, designed to reduce the wildlife reservoir of the disease, could be available within five years.

We will contribute to reducing Bovine TB by working closely with our tenants and graziers, pushing for industry agreement on best practice in reducing cattle to cattle transmission and cattle to badger contact. We will continue to support the research and development of vaccines, and will contribute to both the Welsh TB Forum and the English Bovine TB Partnership Group.