RSPCA vows to fight against badger cull

After a majority of MPs voted against a motion to reverse the pilot badger culls, the RSPCA has issued a statement vowing to continue its fight against culling.

In a House of Commons vote, 299 MPs voted for the cull to go ahead in Somerset and Gloucestershire, against 250 MPs voting for its reversal.

Commenting on the result, RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant said: "We fight on. This vote flies in the face of scientific and public opinion. We are grateful to those MPs who spoke out against the cull and particularly those who defied the Government’s three line whip."

Mr Grant reiterated the stance of the charity, which supports vaccination of cattle and badgers, and better bio-security and control of cattle movements, as the way forward in tackling bTB.

He added: "Much more needs to be done to bring forward the timetable for the development of effective oral vaccination programmes for both cattle and badgers."

This is in echo of the the views expressed in a recent Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom) report, which said that oral baited badger vaccines are felt to be "the most likely way to create a healthy badger population."
Concluding, Mr Grant said: "Meanwhile we stand ready to work with those who want to vaccinate and save lives rather than cull and kill."