|
Back to TB Homepage
5 May 2003
TB in cattle:
Government announces review
of badger culling trial
(Filed 5 May 2003)
© www.land-care.org.uk
Further to Land-Care’s article on 10th March
2003 entitled “Tuberculosis in Cattle: DEFRA in no hurry to
review strategy” (1), Mr Elliot Morley, the
animal health and welfare minister at Westminster, announced on
15th April that the randomised badger culling trial (the Krebs trial)
is to be reviewed by an independent scientific panel established
by DEFRA (2).
Professor Howard Dalton, chief scientific officer
at DEFRA, is quoted as saying that the trial has been operating
for about five years and that it was important that research projects
were reviewed from time to time to ensure that they were meeting
the objectives set for them. He hoped that the panel conducting
this latest review would report by this year.
On 9th April the House of Commons Environmental
and Rural Affairs Committee published its Report on badgers and
bovine TB (3).
The trouble is that the Krebs trial has not reached
any conclusions and is costing some £6.5 million per year
(4) - that is some £32.5 million so far -
while the problem of TB in cattle continues to escalate (5).
In addition to that there have been massive costs to the farming
industry.
The situation is in fact much worse than that.
The problem of badgers and TB in cattle has been running since Zuckerman
wrote his excellent report in 1980 (6, 7).
At the end of a very long day and massive expense plus markedly
deteriorating cattle health, the likelihood must surely be that
what Zuckerman said some 23 years ago was right.
Can we really afford to waste money like this
with no result in order to keep the animal rights lobby happy?
References
1. Editorial (2003). Tuberculosis
in Cattle: DEFRA in no hurry to review strategy.
(Filed 10 March 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
2. DEFRA (2003). Independent Scientific
Review of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and Associated Epidemiological
Research Announced. DEFRA News Release, 15 April 2003.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2003/030415b.htm
3. EFRA (2003). House of Commons
EFRA committee. 7th Report for the session 2002-03. Published 8th
April 2003. Badgers and bovine TB. (Download
PDF [2.9MB]).
4. Editorial (2003). Government
announces review of badger culling trial. Veterinary Record, 19
April 2003. 152: 485.
5. Irvine, James (2003). Just
how bad is the TB problem in UK cattle?
(Filed 25 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
6. Lord Zuckerman (1980). Badgers,
Cattle and Tuberculosis. Report to the Right Honorable Peter Walker,
Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London.
7. Irvine, James (2003) TB in
cattle and badgers: Zuckerman report (1980) revisited.
(Filed 10 March 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Further Reading Recommended by Land-Care
Vernon, Tina (2003). Description of Tuberculin Test for TB in Cattle.
(Filed 28 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Badgers and Bovine TB Subcommittee (Westminster) meets with ISG
24th February 2003.
(Filed 28 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on Cattle TB. From 1998 to the
present.
(Filed 27 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click here
to view).
The Krebs Report (1997) and the Independent Scientific Review Group.
(Filed 27 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click here
to view).
Badgers and TB in Cattle: the view of a dairy farmer.
(Filed 27 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Incidents of TB in Cattle in Scotland, 1995-2002.
(Filed 26 February 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
|
