WHILE many in the farming community have welcomed news of a badger cull, the project is seen as the wrong move in some quarters.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) recognises the importance of the issue to farmers but does not feel that a badger cull is the right solution.

Cheryl Marriott, conservation manager at CWT, said: "We believe the solution to controlling cattle-to-cattle and cattle-to-badger transmission is through effective cattle testing, movement controls, bio-security measures and development of a cattle vaccine.

"We believe the only effective and long-term solution to controlling badger-to-badger and badger-to-cattle transmission is through the development and implementation of an effective oral vaccination programme."

The trust said work carried out by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust earlier this year demonstrated that if groups of land-owners join together to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB, it becomes affordable with no negative impacts.

"The wildlife trusts collectively have carefully considered the practicalities of delivering this cull and have particular concerns regarding the difficulties of implementing, co-ordinating, monitoring and controlling the shooting of free-running badgers under licence," said Ms Marriott.