Failure in bid to stop badger cull

An attempt to stop a controversial badger cull has failed, after Welsh Assembly members voted in favour of plans to shoot badgers to eradicate tuberculosis in cattle.

A five-year trial cull is planned by the Assembly's governing coalition in north Pembrokeshire, west Wales, where bovine TB is endemic.

It is due to start around April after boundaries for it are set, late enough in the year to avoid leaving young badgers without a mother.

Farmers, who blame badgers for spreading a disease that has devastated herds, have welcomed the move. But the Badger Trust this week said it was seeking a judicial review of the decision.

During a debate in Cardiff Bay, rural affairs minister Elin Jones said 12,000 cows were slaughtered last year because of TB, compared with 7,000 in 1997. The bill for compensating Wales's farmers has risen from £1.8 million to £24 million since 2000.

She said: "Both Government-led culling and vaccination of badgers are appropriate strategies to pursue the eradication of bovine TB in Wales, which is why this order confers powers to carry out both.

"Culling removes infection through the removal of infected animals, whilst vaccination protects uninfected animals from becoming infected. So each will be necessary to pursue the eradication of bovine TB in Wales."

Labour AM Lorraine Barrett, who tabled the vote with Liberal Democrat Peter Black, called on the Assembly Government to concentrate solely on vaccinating animals.

She said: "I have always been a loyal member of my party and of this government here in the Assembly, but I just couldn't stand by and let this order go through without a last minute attempt to stop it."

Supporting the cull, Tory rural affairs spokesman Brynle Williams said: "Too many people are very emotive about this and don't realise that TB crosses to people."