People in Lincolnshire and Rutland invited to comment after applications received for badger cull to prevent spread of bovine TB

People are being invited to comment on an application to cull badgers to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is running an “opportunity to comment” after Natural England received applications to cull badgers in Lincolnshire and

Rutland.

Bovine TB is an infectious disease which affects cattle and badgers. Badger culling began in 2013 and there are 43 areas across the country where it is taking place, although the department does not release exact details of locations.

A Defra spokesman said: “Bovine TB remains one of the greatest animal health threats to the UK, causing devastation for hard-working farmers and rural communities.

“That is why we are pursuing a range of interventions to eradicate the disease by 2038, which includes badger culling, tighter cattle movement controls, regular testing and vaccinations.”

Defra says that bovine TB costs taxpayers more than £100m a year and England has the highest incidence of the disease in Europe. In the last year about 32,000 cattle were slaughtered in England to control the disease.

The spokesman added: “We are pursuing a range of interventions to eradicate the disease by 2038, which includes badger culling, tighter cattle movement controls, regular testing and vaccinations.

“A licence for badger culling in Lincolnshire, which is part of the ‘low risk area’, would only be issued where there is strong evidence of infection in badgers linked with TB breakdowns in the local cattle herds, and the chief veterinary officer and ministers decide that culling is the appropriate intervention to deal with the risk in the area.”

The Wildlife Trusts has opposed the badger cull since it started.

Ellie Brodie, senior policy manager, said: “Evidence shows that badgers are not the primary cause of the spread of TB in cattle and that the primary route of infection is from cow-to-cow contact – so a vaccine for cattle should be a government priority.

“While we wait for this to happen, Wildlife Trusts have been, and will continue to, vaccinate badgers.

“Since 2011, Wildlife Trusts have vaccinated around 1,000 badgers on our nature reserves and in the wider countryside in partnership with vets, farmers and

landowners.

Many farmers recognise that badger vaccination is a positive alternative to culling, and working alongside them is the right way forward.”

Those who wish to comment should click here.

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