WEAVER Vale MP Mike Amesbury has put his name on the list of opponents of badger culling that activists fear could kill 130,000 of the animals.
Mr Amesbury has thrown his support behind voters who believe culling is not a solution to stop the spread of tuberculosis in cattle.
Culls have been taking place in Cheshire since 2017, against which the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPCA have spoken out.
The Labor MP, who was contacted by 33 constituents concerned, said: “I acknowledge the debilitating effects of bovine TB on farmers whose herds have been destroyed by the disease, many of whom are in great economic and emotional hardship.
“I also recognize the upset and distress that many feel about what they see as unnecessary removal of badgers.
Mike Amesbury
“Many scientists and others believe that the evidence is far from clear that badger culling is an effective way of controlling bovine TB.”
The MP added: “The government said in March 2020 that the current policy of intensive culling would be phased out in the next few years and gradually be replaced by government-sponsored badger vaccination and surveillance. This year, development of a deployable bovine TB vaccine for cattle is expected to be completed within the next five years. ”
He concluded, “I urge the government to end the cull, along with tough measures to reduce bovine TB such as improved bovine testing, badger vaccination and better control of herd movement.”
Activists estimate 140,000 badgers have already been killed and fear an additional 130,000 badgers could be killed if the government’s proposals are given the go-ahead.
The Ministry of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is stopping intensive culling. A livestock vaccine is expected to be developed over the next five years and there are plans to vaccinate more badger fish.
In the meantime, however, Defra wants to allow badger control licenses to be issued until 2022, which means that badger killing can continue until at least 2026 or even 2028.
