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Some 18,088 badgers were culled as part of the Department of Agriculture programme to eradicate bovine TB between 2015 and 2017.
The regional veterinary office in Wexford recorded the highest number of cullings in that period, with 1,165, followed by Clare with 1,154 and Mayo with 1,002. The figures were revealed by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil deputy Jackie Cahill.
As previously reported in the Irish Farmers Journal, bovine TB has reached a five-year high, with a 20% surge in reactors since 2013. To date this year, Monaghan had the highest number of reactors with 894, followed by north Cork with 642 and Clare with 635.
Minister Creed also gave results from badger culture analysis carried out by the Irish Diagnostic Laboratory Services (IDLS).
The results found that out of 152 badgers tested for TB, 42 tested positive for TB in 2017. To date in 2018, some 134 badgers have been tested and again 42 tested positive, indicating that positive TB tests could run higher than the previous year.
A debate continues regarding the efficacy of culling and the Department also has a vaccination programme in place, with 799 badgers vaccinated last year. “The long-term culling of badgers is not ideal or sustainable. They are protected by national legislation and are listed within the Berne Convention,” Minister Creed said.
“Field trials testing the effectiveness of badger vaccination as an alternative to removal confirmed that vaccination of badgers can play a role in reducing the level of infection in cattle.”
Vaccinations were carried out in just eight counties but the Department intends to roll out badger vaccinations to every county by 2022. The programme is expected to cost €4.3m per year.
On average, just over 6,000 badgers have been culled annually over last three years. A Department spokesperson said they hope to reduce this figure to less than 1,000 by 2022 with the help of vaccinations.
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