A new strategy is to be drawn up to tackle bovine TB, as the Government announced it will end the badger cull.

Ministers said work on the new TB eradication strategy has been launched today and includes four main strands:

  • First badger population survey in over a decade: The last major badger survey was carried out between 2011-13. A new survey will be launched this winter to estimate badger abundance and population recovery to illustrate the impact of widespread culling over the past decade.
  • New national wildlife surveillance programme: It will provide an up-to-date understanding of disease in badgers and other wildlife such as deer.
  • Establish a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force: It aims to increase badger vaccination at pace to drive down TB rates and protect badgers.
  • Badger vaccination study: To supplement the Field Force, the Government will analyse the effect of badger vaccination on the incidence of TB in cattle to encourage farmers to take part.

Work on the development of a cattle vaccine will also be accelerated. The next stage of field trials will commence in the coming months. The Government said its aim is to deliver an effective cattle TB vaccination strategy within the next few years, co-designed with farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists. It will consider a range of further measures including boosting cattle testing, reducing the spread of disease through cattle movements, and deploying badger vaccination on a wider, landscape scale.

Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner said:  "Bovine tuberculosis has devastated British farmers and wildlife for far too long.

"It has placed dreadful hardship and stress on farmers who continue to suffer the loss of valued herds and has taken a terrible toll on our badger populations.

"No more. Our comprehensive TB eradication package will allow us to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament and stop the spread of this horrific disease."

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss added: "Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most difficult and prolonged animal disease challenges we face, causing devastation for farming communities.

"There is no single way to combat it, and a refreshed strategy will continue to be led by the very best scientific and epidemiological evidence. With the disease on a downward trajectory, we are at a crucial point. Working in collaboration with government and stakeholders will be the only way we achieve our target to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in England by 2038."

Existing cull processes will be honoured to ensure clarity for farmers involved, the Government said.