A CHARITY has condemned the government's decision to continue the badger cull in 29 areas with a kill target of 24,070 - but Defra has said it has led to a 'siginificant reduction' in Bovine Tuberculousis (bTB).

The RSPCA has repeated its calls for an immediate and permenant halt to the programme. They say these new numbers could result in a potential 53,234 badgers being culled this year.

The charity believes that the cull is 'cruel, pointless and inaffective'. They have said that this is emphasized by a recent study suggesting there is no evidence that culling badgers has had an effect on bTB in cattle.

A Defra spokesperson said the UK CVO and Chief Scientific advisor have reviewed evidence which suggests TB in cattle in cull areas is down 45% after three years of culling and down 50% after four.

RSPCA director of policy Emma Slawinski said: “We are dismayed that the Westminster Government is persisting with its inhumane and ineffective badger cull despite its commitment to ‘government-supported badger vaccination and surveillance’.

“A landmark report published last year confirms our long-held assertion that culling badgers does not prevent bovine TB in cattle.

“We are calling on the government to immediately end culling, fast track its proposed improvements to cattle based measures, along with cattle and badger vaccination, which will be the best solution for badgers, cattle and farmers.”

In 2022, the government announced an initiative to simplify the badger bTB vaccination licence. And in 2023, there have been field trials for a cattle vaccine and a new DIVA format of the skin test for bTB moved to the next phase.

READ MORE: Badger vaccination against BT by farmers in Cornwall

A Defra spokesperson said: “Bovine TB is one of the most difficult and intractable animal health challenges the livestock sector in England faces today, causing considerable trauma for farmers and costing taxpayers over £100 million every year. 

“We have always been clear that we do not want to continue the current badger cull longer than necessary.

"Our bovine TB eradication strategy has led to a significant reduction in this insidious disease and building on the progress made we are now able to move onto the next phase, including wider badger vaccination, alongside improved cattle testing and work towards deployment of a cattle vaccine.”

The RSPCA says the majority of the focus should be on cattle-based measures, since the majority of bTB comes from cattle infecting cattle. 

"For too long the Government has chosen to look the other way as it determinedly pursues an ill-conceived course of action - culling - with no scientific basis and no success, instead promoting cruelty and wasting time and money," Emma added.

"It should now wholly embrace the conclusive study which reveals its culling strategy is futile and put in place a cattle-focused bTB eradication policy that is based on science rather than political expediency.

“We are calling on the Government in England to fast track its proposed improvements to cattle based measures, along with badger vaccination, which will be the best solution for badgers, cattle and farmers.”