Defra sources say some licensed culls will continue until 2026 but it is highly unlikely any new ones will be granted

Badger culling will end in England by 2029, the government has said.

Some culls under existing licences will continue until 2026, according to sources at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), but it is highly unlikely any new ones will be granted.

The National Farmers’ Union has been lobbying government to keep the badger cull until there is definitive proof bovine tuberculosis (bTB) can be stopped without killing badgers.

However, Defra ministers have said not enough research has been done in recent years to find out whether badgers carry the virus.

  • rubikcuber@feddit.ukEnglish
    5·
    20 days ago

    I’ve not been keeping up with this, because I’m a city type, but this paragraph seems absolutely wild to me.

    It will also create a badger vaccination taskforce and set up a scientific survey to find out whether wild badgers are carrying bTB.

    • Baggins@feddit.ukEnglish
      2·
      20 days ago

      Easy, just line them up on parade. Then go down the line and vaccinate them.

      • rubikcuber@feddit.ukEnglish
        6·
        20 days ago

        a scientific survey to find out whether wild badgers are carrying bTB.

        It was this bit that really threw me. I mean, have we been killing all these badgers for years and we don’t actually know if they are carrying Bovine TB?!

        • Baggins@feddit.ukEnglish
          5·
          20 days ago

          There’s a vociferous group that insists its all the badgers fault. They are quite often farmers and the hunting crowd.

          Badgers we’re here long before them though.

      • Zip2@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        20 days ago

        Windsor Davies badger, Tasmin Archer badger, Gareth Southgate badger…. All done.