CAMPAIGNERS mobilising to fight a new battle over a proposed badger cull have accused the Assembly of arrogance.

Pembrokeshire Against the Cull (PAC) fought original plans for a cull of badgers in an area centred on north Pembrokeshire and says it has been let down by the Assembly over its latest "draconian" plans to tackle bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

Other wildlife and animal welfare groups opposed to a cull have also expressed disappointment at new plans to trap and shoot badgers, announced by Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones last week.

A final decision on a draft cull order will be made when a 12 week public consultation ends on December 17.

A previous order was challenged by the Badger Trust and ruled illegal by the court of appeal in July because it wrongly covered the whole of Wales.

PAC campaigner Celia Thomas said strong opposition was needed to halt a "nightmare scenario".

"The arrogance of a government that thinks it can continue to try to impose such a law on those who have different beliefs, ways of life and livelihoods, is beyond belief," she said.

"In England, there is no mention of forcing landowners to participate in a cull, but here in Wales we will again be faced by contractors and police forcing entry regardless of the wish and belief of the landowner."

She said PAC has always acknowledged the difficulties bovine TB poses to cattle farmers but insisted that culling increases the prevalence of TB in badgers and chances of the disease being passed to cattle.

"We are very disappointed that despite our best efforts no unbiased consideration has been given to vaccination as an alternative even though this is being seriously considered in England," she added.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said it was extremely disappointed by the announcement and the pursuance of a non-selective badger cull.

"We will continue to oppose badger culling, because the science does not support it," said a spokeswoman for the trust.

"However we hope to work constructively with the Assembly to develop the possibility of vaccination of badgers as an alternative strategy. We will be responding to the consultation on the badger cull launched by the Minister and we would urge as many people as possible to do the same."

The RSPCA said it was very concerned that the Assembly had recommitted to a cull as it believes vaccination, increased levels of testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle are more sustainable and effective ways of reducing bovine TB in cattle.

"We will be looking at the consultation in detail and considering a response," it said in a statement and urged the public to make their views known to assembly members.

The Badger Trust said it was considering its position. The new draft order covers a 111 square mile Intensive Action Area (IAA) in north Pembrokeshire and includes areas of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. It includes 321 cattle farms and with nearly 70% affected by the disease in the last seven years it has one of the highest bTB rates in Europe.

The Assembly says nearly 100,000 cattle have been slaughtered in Wales in the last 10 years and more than £120 million of tax payers' money paid out to farmers in compensation. About 1,400 badgers will be shot in the IAA during an annual cull over five years.

Rural Affairs Minister Ms Jones said vaccination of badgers would not solve the problem on its own so a cull was the only proven method now available.

She added that her government's policy is a comprehensive package that includes enhanced cattle surveillance and controls, as well as improved biosecurity on Welsh farms.

journal.star@swwmedia.co.uk