Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Control in Britain: Science, Policy and Politics

McCulloch, Steven; Reiß, Michael

doi:10.1007/s10806-017-9686-3

Cited by 24 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…More recently, in part due to a global shortage of the BCG vaccine, badger vaccination has been halted in Wales and the government has agreed to targeted culling of badgers on some chronically-infected farms (Messenger 2016;Welsh Government 2017). The science, policy and politics of badger culling are discussed further in McCulloch and Reiss (2017).…”

Section: Bovine Tb and Badger Control Policy In Englandmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have argued for the inclusion of mandatory Animal Welfare Impact Assessment (AWIA) for all public policy that affects sentient nonhuman species (McCulloch 2015;McCulloch and Reiss 2017). AWIA is a robust mechanism to assess how policy options impact the interests of sentient species.…”

Section: Control Policy Optionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A complete AWIA includes positive and negative welfare impacts in terms of duration (short, medium, long) and intensity (mild, moderate, strong) (McCulloch and Reiss 2017). The values in Tables 3 and 4 represent the total positive and negative welfare impacts on cattle and badgers respectively.…”

Section: Animal Welfare Impact Assessment: Species Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Culling in England: A Utilitarian Analysis of Policy Options

McCulloch

Reiß

2017

J Agric Environ Ethics

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Bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) is an important animal health policy issue in Britain, which impacts farmers, the public, domestic farmed cattle and the wild badger population. The Westminster government's badger culling policy in England, which began in 2013, has caused considerable controversy. This is in part because the Independent Scientific Group advised against culling, based on the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. Those opposed to badger culling support more stringent cattle-based measures and the vaccination of badgers. This paper argues for ethical analysis of public policy options which impact sentient species. It provides a summary Animal Welfare Impact Assessment of (1) a do-nothing approach, (2) badger culling, and (3) badger vaccination. A utilitarian analysis is then applied to these policy options considering human wellbeing and animal welfare. The analysis compares a badger culling policy that achieves a 19% reduction in bovine TB incidence, a badger vaccination model achieving a 12.5% reduction, and a donothing approach. Policy options are assessed over 9 years and a longer timeframe, and uncertainty is considered. The analysis finds that non-culling approaches, particularly badger vaccination, result in greater total utility, compared to badger culling. Badger culling causes 30% reduction in the badger population in England as well as substantial harms due to the culling process. Culling is opposed by public opinion and is associated with considerable risks and uncertainty. In contrast, nonculling approaches, such as cattle-based measures and badger vaccination, are supported by public opinion and are not associated with such risks.

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Section: Bovine Tb and Badger Control Policy In Englandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Control Policy Optionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Culling in England: A Utilitarian Analysis of Policy Options

McCulloch

Reiß

2017

J Agric Environ Ethics

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“…The science, policy and politics of bovine TB and badger control are discussed in McCulloch and Reiss (2017a). In that paper, we argue that (1) Animal Welfare Impact Assessment (AWIA) and (2) independently conducted ethical analysis, using established moral frameworks, should be applied to animal health and welfare policy issues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Quotations from interviews are indicated by square brackets. Further details about the interviewing methodology can be found in McCulloch and Reiss (2017a). 1 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bovine Tuberculosis Policy in England: Would a Virtuous Government Cull Mr Badger?

McCulloch

Reiß

2017

J Agric Environ Ethics

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Bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) is the most important animal health and welfare policy issue in Britain. Badgers are a wildlife reservoir of disease, although the eight-year Independent Scientific Group (ISG) Randomised Badger Culling Trial concluded with a recommendation against culling. The report advised government that bovine TB could be controlled, and ultimately eradicated, by cattlebased measures alone. Despite the ISG recommendation against culling, the farming and veterinary industries continued to lobby government for a badger cull. The 2005-2010 Labour government followed the ISG advice and decided against a cull. The 2010-2015 Coalition and the 2015-present Conservative governments have followed a badger culling policy. This paper investigates whether a virtuous government would cull badgers. It provides an overview of virtue theory in the context of government animal health and welfare policy. Bovine TB and badger control policy options are then analysed in the context of the virtues of justice, wisdom, integrity, loyalty, curiosity, trust, empathy, compassion and aesthetics. Justice is the first virtue of government, and badger culling is seriously problematic from a virtue perspective given that five badgers are culled per cow that avoids slaughter as a result. Analysis based on other virtues strongly suggests that government should not cull badgers. The paper concludes that a virtuous government would not cull badgers as part of policy to control bovine TB in cattle.

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Human-Wildlife Coexistence in the Urban Domain: Promoting Welfare Through Effective Management, Responsibility and the Recognition of Mutual Interest

Wookey

2022

The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series

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Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Control in Britain: Science, Policy and Politics

Cited by 24 publications

References 12 publications

Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Culling in England: A Utilitarian Analysis of Policy Options

Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Culling in England: A Utilitarian Analysis of Policy Options

Bovine Tuberculosis Policy in England: Would a Virtuous Government Cull Mr Badger?

Human-Wildlife Coexistence in the Urban Domain: Promoting Welfare Through Effective Management, Responsibility and the Recognition of Mutual Interest

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