RSPCA delighted at Westminster vote to stop badger cull
The RSPCA is delighted MPs have at last seen sense and voted overwhelmingly to stop the roll out of the pilot badger culls.
The animal welfare charity has always maintained the badger cull was not just inhumane but would also be an ineffective way of controlling the spread of bovine TB.
It has been reported that the Independent Expert Panel findings show that the pilot culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire were inhumane and ineffective. Plans for any further roll out of the scheme would be a complete farce, just like the pilot culls themselves.
RSPCA head of public affairs David Bowles said: “We are delighted the MPs have listened to the advice of the experts and voted overwhelmingly to abandon the badger cull.
“The Secretary of State Owen Paterson now has to listen to the voice of Parliament and discard any plans to roll the cull out further. Any decision to continue would be flying in the face of scientists, public opinion and of elected MPs. The Government should now commit to a full debate on Government time when the Independent Expert Panel.
“More than 1,800 badgers were slaughtered last year as part of the Government's misguided badger culling policy and it is estimated as many as 100,000 will be under threat if it insists on going ahead with rolling out the cull.
"The RSPCA, alongside many other organisations, has always maintained the methods used in the cull would not be humane and that culling is not the answer to effectively controlling bovine TB.
"We firmly believe that the use of vaccination along with improved biosecurity will lead to a decrease in new cases of bovine TB, as it has in Wales and both farmers and wildlife campaigners can move forward in tackling this disease together.”
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