Gloucestershire Badger Cull Fails To Meet Target

The pilot cull of badgers in West Gloucestershire has not met the 70% target set out by the government.

Official figures have revealed that in the additional five weeks and three days of culling allowed, only 213 badgers were killed, bringing the total number to 921.

Only 40% were culled during the operation, which ended on Saturday 30 November.

In a statement to Parliament, Rural Affairs Minister Owen Patterson said: "The aim of the extension was to achieve the earliest and greatest possible impact on bTB in the area, in line with the Chief Veterinary Officer's advice that a further significant reduction of the badger population in the first year would increase the likelihood of disease benefits in cattle over the full four years of the cull.

"The decision to extend has been shown to be the right one, with significant numbers of badgers removed at the point that the extension was ended."

Last month, a similar cull pilot scheme in Somerset ended which also failed to meet its targets – despite a three-week extension period. In that area, there was an estimated 65% reduction in the badger population. The target figure was 70%.

The Independent Panel of Experts will now consider the information collected during the pilots on the safety, effectiveness and humaneness of controlled shooting.

This will inform decisions on the wider roll-out of badger control in those parts of England most severely affected by the disease.

(JP)