We are appalled to hear that the badger cull will once again go ahead in Derbyshire.

We understand the devastation that bovine tuberculosis (bTB) causes to affected farmers and the wider farming community, but we need to find the right mechanisms to control the disease.  However, badgers are not the primary cause of the spread of bTB in cattle.

On 30th August, the Government launched its strategy to use a scientific approach to end the badger cull and accelerate the development of a cattle vaccine. Despite this encouraging news the Government’s strategy is not urgent enough. Thousands of badgers will be needlessly killed whilst the cull is allowed to continue until new measures are rolled out and take effect.

Since 2014, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has run a successful Badger Vaccination Programme which has seen our dedicated team work with landowners and our partners to demonstrate that there was a more humane alternative to badger culling.

However, badger vaccination was only ever a short-term solution to protect this iconic and much-loved species whilst we campaigned for the government to end the badger cull and accelerate the roll out of a cattle vaccine and place greater emphasis and investment on livestock measures.

The government’s plans to establish a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force will not protect badgers unless the cull is ended. It risks being a distraction from the measures that are truly needed to support farmers and protect badgers.

Data and evidence gathered since the start of our badger vaccination programme confirms that cattle to cattle transmission is the primary cause of infection and spread of bovine TB, and it must be urgently resolved through measures such as improved cattle testing and vaccination, enhanced biosecurity, and controlling livestock movements.

We call on the UK Government to end the cull and focus on the work needed to support farmers to improve cattle biosecurity and roll out of a cattle vaccine.