We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Badger vaccination project scrapped in all but one area
THE coalition Government has scrapped plans to vaccinate badgers in all but one of the areas designated by the previous administration.
Defra announced on Thursday that vaccination will now only proceed near Stroud, in Gloucestershire, beginning in July and lasting for five years.
The original plan announced by former Defra Secretary Hilary Benn was for badgers to be trapped and injected with BCG vaccine in six areas.
But plans to vaccinate badgers in Staffordshire, two areas in Devon, Herefordshire/Worcestershire and another area in Gloucestershire have been dropped. Badger sett surveys will be completed in the area near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, however.
Farming Minister Jim Paice said the decision reflected both the change in policy of the new administration and the need to ‘consider carefully all public expenditure’.
He said the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project (BVDP) was designed at a time when culling was not an option. Since the policy on badger control is still being developed, Ministers have decided to scale down the vaccination project.
“We’ve committed to carefully-managed and science-led badger control as part of a package of measures, and we’re looking carefully at badger vaccination and culling as part of that,” Mr Paice said.
“It makes sense to review the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project to keep our options open and to ensure best possible use of taxpayers’ money.
“By going ahead with the training in Stroud, we’ll maintain capacity to train lay vaccinators while we consider how best to deploy vaccines as part of a badger control policy.”
The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) will trap and vaccinate badgers using the recently-licensed injectable badger BCG vaccine on up to 100 km2 of cattle land near Stroud. It will also offer training to lay vaccinators to help build capacity.
The aim of the BVDP is to build confidence in the principle and practicalities of vaccination, develop practical know-how for vaccinating badgers and provide an opportunity to learn how best to address practical difficulties.
Readers' comments (1)
Pauline Beaton | 26 June 2010 5:44 am
Rather than pouring millions into the foreign aid programme where most of the funds are either wasted or stolen by corrupt officials, it would be better to scrap that and concentrate tax payers money in Britain and help the local farming industry and protect the local wildlife. I feel I am in a position to comment on this having lived in Africa for 60 years and seen the misappropriation of funds!
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