APPENDIX 40
Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Countryside Council for Wales (L64)
A POSITION STATEMENT
1. CCW recognises the need for rigorous
scientific data to resolve any role badgers play in the transmission
of bovine TB.
2. We are, however, extremely concerned
that the trial culling has commenced prematurely and, in particular,
before an Environmental Impact Assessment has been undertaken
to assess both the prospects for recovery of culled badger populations
and the wider ecological consequences of their local removal.
3. It is not clear to us, should the trials
show a clear and unequivocal link between bovine TB and badgers,
what action is then intended, bearing in mind the countryside
distribution of this species, its abundance and its protected
status. Even if an unequivocal link is proven by the trials, we
believe that vaccine development (7 below) is the long term solution
to protect against TB in cattle.
4. Should no unequivocal link between bovine
TB and badgers be demonstrated, CCW is of the view that all further
badger culling should cease immediately.
5. CCW considers that more effort is needed
to determine the routes and vectors of TB transmission so that
practical animal husbandry techniques can be developed and implemented
to reduce disease risk.
6. We believe that MAFF should make the
completion of the bovine TB questionnaire mandatory for all current
and future herd breakdowns countrywide and that it should incorporate
a section on holistic herd health status.
7. We consider that the development of a
cattle vaccine represents the best long term prospect for the
control of TB in cattle and that its development should be of
the utmost priority. CCW therefore considers that further funding
should be allocated to this work and considerable effort made
to accelerate its development.
8. In establishing this position, we understand
that research to establish whether the Mycobacterium bovis
strains in cattle are identical to those found in badgers is continuing.
We are extremely surprised that this key issue had not been determined
prior to any culling of badgers.
24 March 1999
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