The Badger, a much loved native species is now safe, thanks to DEFRA’s decision not to permit further wholesale culling of badgers in any part of England.

The Government’s decision, based on evidence and science, not to go forward with further large scale badger culls and to infest in a TB vaccination scheme is very much welcomed.

Although, badgers are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act (1992) there is a provision which allows badgers to be killed to prevent disease. Despite the 1992 Act more than 10,000 Badgers were destroyed in an appalling experiment which began in 1999 (the Kerbs experiment) to find out whether slaughtering thousands of badgers would result in fewer cases of Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) in cattle.

Network for Animals has long condemned the mass slaughter and called on the Government to invest in alternatives such as vaccination; increased testing and enhanced pro-movement cattle testing. NFA repeatedly highlighted that reactive culling in areas where there is TB made the problem worse in most cases - increasing the area of infection due to Badger movement!

NFA is delighted that at long last, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Rt Hon Hilary Benn’s announced that the Government would not to go forward with any further large scale badger culls and to infest in a TB vaccination scheme, saving the lives of thousands of Badgers and reducing the burden on the public purse (previous attempts to prevent the spread of the disease have cost in excessive of £45 million). NFA believe that the Government’s pledge of £20 million for research into vaccination against TB make sound financial sense and should be commended.

We are heartened that the National Farmers Union have stopped calling for badger culls, and will not pursue a Judicial Review of the Secretary of State's decision but are now willing to sit down with all parties concerned to discuss alternative control measures. NFA looks forward to supporting DEFRA’s new commitment to Badgers.