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Badger cull officially begins

Start of six-week cull confirmed by NFU

Pilot badger culls have officially begun in Somerset and controlled shooting is expected to continue for six weeks despite protests.

Approved in February this year, the pilot culls are part of an attempt by the government to tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in England.

In a letter to members, National Farmer's Union (NFU) president, Peter Kendall, confirmed the start of the cull, speaking of the "misery" suffered by farmers dealing with bTB.

Environment secretary Owen Paterson said: "We know that despite the strict controls we already have in place, we won't get on top of this terrible disease until we start dealing with the infection in badgers as well as cattle.

"That's the clear lesson from Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the USA."

The culls, however, have attracted much controversy, with a number of organisations including the RSPCA, Born Free Foundation and Humane Society joining together as Team Badger to campaign against the cull.

Commenting on the announcement, the RSPCA said is was "deeply saddened" by the news and will continue its campaign against the cull.

Controlled shooting in Somerset will continue for six weeks, and further culling in Gloucestershire is expected to begin later this week.

Related News
BVA supports badger cull
Charities say culling will be ineffective
Pilot badger culls approved

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New form for online veterinary medicines retailers

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has produced a new online form for retailers wishing to sell veterinary medicines on the internet.

The form replace the previous Word version and is part of the VMD's ongoing commitment to digitise its processes. Anyone retailing prescription medicines online, including POM-V, POM-VPS and NFA-VPS categories, is lawfully required to register with the VMD before trading.

The change only applies to new applicants. Retailers already listed on the VMD's Register of Online Retailers or registered under the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS) do not need to do anything.