The Trust believes that efforts to stop the spread of bTB should be focussed on stopping cattle to cattle transmission through movement of infected cattle, developing a cattle vaccine, improved biosecurity and vaccination of badgers. It has called for the cull application to be suspended until the results of a new No Cull Zone Consultation, being carried out by DEFRA, are announced but it’s calls have so far fallen on deaf ears.

Speaking about the charity’s frustration Head of Conservation Janice Bradley said: “Given that the government launched a consultation last month on the principle of how culling and vaccinations can be managed in areas like ours, it is hugely frustrating that an existing application is disrupting our long established, and successful,  programme before the consultation is completed.”

The Trust believes the pace of policy development and a recent High Court ruling also call into question the current application process. In March the Government issued its response to the Godfray review, a review of its 25 Year Bovine TB Strategy, making clear that it wishes to see badger vaccination programmes substantially expanded. The High Court also recently rejected the NFU’s Appeal against a ruling to not allow culling in Derbyshire, where Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have successfully been delivering the UK’s largest badger vaccinations project.

Our dedicated staff and volunteers are out there vaccinating badgers, helping farmers to protect their cattle, but the current situation is very demoralising.”

Mrs Bradley added: “The policy framework is shifting rapidly and to have our work undermined by a cull licence application submitted before the Government responded to the Godfray Review and the current consultation was launched is a real blow. Our dedicated staff and volunteers are out there vaccinating badgers, helping farmers to protect their cattle, but the current situation is very demoralising.”

Since the cull licence application was submitted farmers and landowners responsible for a significant area where vaccinations took place last year have refused to commit to this year’s programme and the charity, which works with dozens of farmers across the county, fears the divisive nature of the debate around culling threatens the positive relationships it has built up with farmers through the vaccination programme.

Mrs Bradley added: “A number of landowners are yet to grant us access to vaccinate badgers this year because of the cull licence application, but we remain fully committed to working with farmers to protect their livestock, livelihoods and wildlife through vaccination. We are now finalising our response to the consultation but our position remains clear; there is no scientific evidence to justify culling in Edge areas (areas between high and low risk areas for bTB) and new cull zone proposals will severely compromise existing badger vaccination projects and hinder efforts to expand badger vaccination. They would also waste public funds as vaccinated badgers are inevitably culled.”