Badger vaccination ‘will not eradicate’ bovine TB in Wales

Wales will have to do more to deal with bovine TB in wildlife beyond vaccinating badgers in small geographical areas, a government adviser has admitted.

Gareth Jones, adviser to Wales’ farm minister Alun Davies and the Welsh government’s director general of sustainable futures, said bovine TB would never be eradicated unless it was dealt with in wildlife.

“We all know vaccination in small areas of Wales is not the answer – it is not the full deal. That will only take us so far. I am pretty sure we will have to develop this eradication policy over the years,’’ he told the Farmers’ Union of Wales’ annual general meeting at Aberystwyth on Monday (16 June).

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Mr Jones suggested that politically, TB eradication was a “minefield” and that a government facing an election in two years’ time would be unlikely to take “brave decisions”.

“The chief vet is absolutely sure that short of getting a cattle vaccine we are going to have to do more to deal with the wildlife reservoir,” said Mr Jones.

The debate coincided with an international conference on bovine TB in Cardiff, where experts from around the world shared their knowledge of TB epidemiology, vaccination and wildlife policy.

Wales’ chief vet Christianne Glossop told delegates annual testing of cattle was the “cornerstone” of the government’s efforts to eradicate TB.

“A cow that is tested every year is surely a safer bet,” Dr Glossop said.