To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs pursuant to AQW 18508/17-22, whether he intends to conduct a public consultation on proposals to destroy protected wildlife as part of the bovine tuberculosis eradication strategy for Northern Ireland.

The eradication of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is one of my top priorities. I recognise the devastating emotional and financial impact a bTB breakdown can have on farming families across Northern Ireland.

A new bTB Eradication Strategy for Northern Ireland will aim to reduce and eventually eradicate bTB by comprehensively addressing all of the recognised key factors in the maintenance and spread of the disease.

I can confirm that a public consultation on the new Strategy launched on Friday, 16 July 2021, and contains proposals to address the role of badgers as a reservoir of bTB infection. The consultation can be accessed at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-departments-proposed-implementation-and-next-steps-btb-eradication-strategy-northern.

The consultation sets out specific steps for “intervention areas” in Northern Ireland to break the cycle of infection transmission between badgers and cattle, as part of an overall bTB Eradication Strategy. The Department believes it is necessary to reduce the infection load in the badger population first in order to enable long term aim of vaccination to be effective.

The proposed option on which the consultation seeks views is a non-selective badger cull using controlled shooting of free roaming badgers, as the predominant badger removal method, delivered and paid for by farmer led companies.

I very much welcome the opportunity that this consultation will provide for stakeholders and the wider public to express their views on how we can best work together to tackle this disease. Following consideration of the consultation responses, I will then be able to take final decisions on the way forward.