Badger culls are necessary to help stop the spread of bovine TB, according to Farm minister George Eustice, who has defended the practice despite enormous opposition from animal welfare organisations and opposition MPs.
Culls have already been given the go-ahead in Gloucestershire and Somerset, following successful culls in the UK last year, which saw 921 badgers killed in Gloucestershire and 940 in Somerset. A legal challenge by The Badger Trust to stop this year's culls failed, after the judge ruled in favour of Defra.
The minister believes the culls are necessary because significant numbers of cattle were lost to bovine TB. He said doing nothing was not a viable strategy and something has to be done. Targeted culling of badgers should be part of the strategy: "Targeted culling has to be part of our approach if we want to control this disease. This view is shared by the nation’s leading vets, and supported by a wealth of experience from overseas."