Test zone for Welsh badger cull

Apr 9 2008 The Journal

A BADGER cull pilot zone will be set up in a bovine TB hotspot to help combat the spread of the disease in Wales, it was announced yesterday.

The Welsh Assembly government said it had not made a final decision about where the cull will be carried out or what method will be used.

Additional areas will not be considered until the cull in the test zone has been reviewed.

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said: “This is a difficult decision to take and it has not been taken lightly. I am very aware of the strong views on this issue.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the badger remains a protected species in Wales and the conditions of the Badger Act are firmly in force. Illegal action will not be tolerated.”

The test zone would need to be in an area with hard natural or manmade boundaries, she added.

Last year 7,905 cattle were slaught- ered in Wales, up from 669 in 1997.

The compensation bill was £15.2m. Ms Jones said it would cost more than £30m by 2012 if it grew at the present “unsustainable” rate.