County cull: AM Paul Davies has called for a pilot badger cull to be held in Pembrokeshire.

Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies has called for the pilot TB badger cull to be held in Pembrokeshire.

The Welsh Assembly has announced a package of measures, including the culling of badgers from a TB hotspot, to try to prevent the spread of the disease.

Pembrokeshire is one of the worst TB hotspots in Britain and many farmers have been affected time and time again by the disease.

"I hope the rural affairs minister will consider setting up the initial pilot area in west Wales, in a part of my constituency, where the problems have been prolonged for far too long," Mr Davies told the Assembly.

"This disease has also been having serious animal health consequences, due to the fact that farmers are unable to sell their livestock and it becomes difficult to house all of their animals," he added.

Ms Jones said: "We will be looking for an area with the highest and most intensive levels of bovine TB and, as we saw in the badgers found dead survey, an area with high percentages of TB in the badger population,"

Pembrokeshire, Carmar-thenshire and Gwent all qualified, Ms Jones said.

In 2007, 7,905 cattle were culled as part of TB controls in Wales, compared with fewer than 700 in 1997. The cost of compensation for the 2007-08 financial year was £15.2million, compared with £1.8m in the 2000-01 financial year.

Mr Davies said: "None of us is advocating the wholesale culling of badgers, but it is clear that the current policy of culling cattle without controlling wildlife is not working.

"This cull is essential because it is obvious that TB is transferred from wildlife to cattle as well as from cattle to cattle.

"There is no other explanation for the way in which closed herds contract the disease. Something in the wildlife population must carry it on to the farm in the first place."

Mr Davies also asked the minister for assurances that farmers wouldn't be carrying it out.

"I hope that she agrees that it would be much more sensible if the Government and the authorities were responsible for the process, and that it should not be left to the farmers alone," he said.

"The danger of leaving the responsibility to farmers alone is that that could bring down a lot of criticism upon the head of the agricultural industry."

Ms Jones said: "These issues will be considered and I will take advice on the most effective and efficient way of doing it.

"In terms of the timetable, one of the first things that we will do is test all the cattle in Wales. We will move to do that in the near future."

3:07pm Friday 9th May 2008

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