Badger culling extensions

WE were very concerned to see the statement from the BVA on November 5 indicating its agreement with the Chief Veterinary Officer's (CVO's) advice to ministers justifying extensions to the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire. There is significant concern among scientists with considerable expertise in the impact of culling badgers on the incidence of bovine TB in cattle that extending culling over a prolonged period makes the outcome (in terms of its impact on the incidence of bovine TB in cattle) less predictable, and indeed could make matters worse. In light of this scientific uncertainty, the BVA's endorsement of the …