Calls for cull opposers to allow scientific work

Following the start of the badger cull in Somerset and Gloucestershire on June 1, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has issued a statement in support of the initiative.

The association has reiterated its support following activity from those campaigning against the cull, and is calling on its opposers to allow the scientific work to go on unhindered.

Explaining its support, the BVA cited data from the Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCTs), which shows that bovine TB in cattle can be reduced by 16 per cent in areas where a cull has taken place.

President of the BVA, Peter Jones, said: "We have not taken the decision to support the pilot badger culls lightly; we have considered all of the scientific evidence, which supports the management of bovine TB in badgers in order to reduce the incidence of the disease in cattle.
 
“We accept that there is a gap in our knowledge, which is whether controlled shooting can deliver a badger cull humanely and safely, and to the same degree of effectiveness as cage trapping and shooting.

"That is what the pilots are designed to address and why is it important that they are allowed to go ahead unhindered.
 
“We understand that this is a highly emotional issue but we must be able to gather the evidence to enable future policy decisions to be based on science."

Image: Peter Jones, BVA president