Animal rights groups are urging the Government to follow the UK’s example and put an end to badger culling.
Ireland has killed more than 110,000 badgers since 1989 in a bid to prevent cattle getting infected with tuberculosis.
The Irish Wildlife Trust has warned that the culls see healthy badgers, including pregnant or nursing females, snared and then shot. It has said levels are TB in cows are still too high and the programme should “now be considered a failure.”
Meanwhile, the UK Government yesterday confirmed that no more mass badger culls will take place after 2022.
It will instead seek to eradicate bovine TB by vaccinating badgers and restricting the movement of cattle.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) animal health chairman Pat Farrell said the number of cattle slaughtered over TB fears has dropped from 44,000 a year to 16,000 a year since the badger culls were introduced.
He said farmers see their trade suspended for a minimum of 120 days when they record an outbreak – with no ability to earn an income until the suspension is lifted.
“The department investigates where there is an outbreak of TB at farm level,2 he said.
“If it is found the badgers have infected the cattle, they apply for a licence and there are strict protocols put in place and there are trained personnel within the department
“It is not a willy nilly situation with badgers culled all over the country. It is only where there is an outbreak of TB that this happens.”
Also on the show, John Carmody, John Carmody, founder of the Animal Rights Action Network said it is time for a more humane response to the issue.
He welcomed the UK decision and urged the Irish Government to honour its commitments under the programme for Government and follow suit.
“The reality is that if we placed more focus on humanely vaccinating these animals, we may not have the problems we face today,” he said.
“What irks me so much is that when we appear to have problems with wildlife, for whatever reason, the only answer we seem to come up with every goddamn time is to kill these poor animals.
“The reality is that if we all sit down together and work together on this particular situation we could come about and work towards ending this cull – which I do hope happens.”
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