Welsh farmers welcome badger cull

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Farmers welcomed a controversial decision by the Welsh Assembly Government to approve a cull in a bovine TB hotspot.

The method and a site with suitable natural or manmade boundaries have not been chosen. Other areas could be considered after the pilot is reviewed.

Officials say bovine TB is out of control in Wales, but conservation groups insist a badger cull will not stop it spreading.

In a statement to AMs in Cardiff Bay, Wales's Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said: "This is a difficult decision to take and it has not been taken lightly. I am very aware of the strong views on this issue."

She made clear that badgers would remain a protected species and said she had given "due consideration to the divergence of scientific and political opinion".

Ms Jones also said there would be a one-off test of all cattle herds in Wales to assess the extent of infection. This would mean testing about 400,000 extra cattle in a year.

She said she wanted to reform the compensation system for farmers whose infected cows were slaughtered to "encourage herd owners to comply with legal and best practice requirements".

NFU Cymru president Dai Davies said: "This is a classic example of the need to endure short-term pain for long-term gain."

Wales's chief vet Dr Christianne Glossop said: "Doing nothing is not an option. To be successful we need to deal with all sources of infection and keep all clean areas clean."