Cull plan polarises viewpoints; REACTION.

OF the 741 bTB consultation responses received by the Assembly Government, a fifth were from overseas, reflecting the international spotlight in which Wales now finds itself over its proposed badger cull.

While opinions were predictably divided between farm unions and wildlife groups, many individuals also wrote in, eruditely outlining their views.

An example was Welsh-born scientist Dr Jennifer Williams, now living in Edinburgh, who said: "It is not a financially viable nor ethical solution to completely wipe out the Welsh badger population, especially as badgers can and will repopulate the area from England and Wales."

NFU Cymru president Dai Davies called for final assessments of the pilot cull area to be completed as swiftly as possible.

"We simply cannot go on killing more and more cattle," added Brian Walters, bTB spokesman for the Farmers' Union of Wales.

Support for a cull also came from the British Veterinary Association, which debated the bTB epidemic at its congress in Cardiff last weekend.

"There is a strong appetite for action amongst the veterinary profession for tackling the spread of this disease," said BVA president Bill Reilly.

A new group, Pembrokeshire Against the Cull, said bTB eradication efforts should be focused on cattle movements, not badgers.