New RSPCA data shows ‘lack of public support’ for badger culling in Wales

Nation.Cymru Team

RSPCA Cymru say the new Welsh Government must “listen to people’s love of wildlife” – as new polling shows that badgers are among the nation’s favourites – with a majority opposed to culling them to deal with Bovine TB.

It comes as 96 Members of the Senedd (MSs) prepare to take their seats in a newly-expanded Senedd – with the RSPCA predicting Bovine TB will be one of the “biggest talking points concerning animals in Wales in the coming years”.

Now, the RSPCA is calling on Plaid Cymru, who are looking to form a minority government following yesterday’s appointment of Rhun ap Iorwerth MS as Wales’ new First Minister, as well as MSs from all parties, to recognise that badger culling is unsupported by a clear majority of the Welsh public.

In groundbreaking new polling* released today (13 May) in the aftermath of last week’s Senedd election, RSPCA Cymru has found that only 27% of the Welsh population actively support badger culling, with just under half (46%) of those surveyed categorically against the method.

According to the new data, 63% of people in Wales are either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ uncomfortable with badger culling being conducted in Wales, using lethal methods approved by government authorities. Meanwhile, more than two thirds (68%) are either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ uncomfortable with the concept of public funds being used for the culling of badgers.

Notably, badger culling directly impacts the political support of almost 60% of the Welsh public, with 52% less likely to support a political party that endorses badger culling.

The polling also revealed that a whopping 98% of people in Wales consider protecting Welsh wildlife to be important to them, with more than two thirds (69%) considering it ‘very important’. Badgers were shown to be among the most popular species of wildlife in Wales, with 73% of people stating that they are specifically concerned about them when given a variety of species to choose from.

The polling surveyed 1,033 adults (18+) living in Wales.

Talking point

Billie-Jade Thomas, Senior Public Affairs Manager for RSPCA Cymru said: “How the new Welsh Government approaches Bovine TB will be one of the biggest talking points concerning animals in Wales in the coming years.

“This polling should remind all newly-elected Senedd Members that the Welsh public cares about how badgers are treated, and politicians must listen to people’s love of wildlife. There is a clear lack of public support for badger culling in Wales, and those supporting such action could see their support wane among their constituents..

“Wildlife control and badgers were featured in several parties’ Senedd manifestos – including Plaid Cymru, Wales’ new biggest party. – We now hope MSs from all political groups recognise that badger culling is unsupported by a clear majority of the Welsh public – and they should instead prioritise a science-led, cattle-focussed approach to combatting Bovine TB.

“Badgers are such wonderful creatures and, like all wildlife, deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. A growing body of evidence suggests that the majority of Bovine TB infection occurs between cattle and with the scientific evidence suggesting that badger culling is not an effective way to reduce the disease in cattle.

“Given the new arithmetic in the Senedd, we hope politicians are mindful of this during any future negotiations and discussions around the Welsh Government’s future direction. The new administration must always tackle bTB in a way which does not needlessly pose a threat to one of our most distinctive, well-loved yet misunderstood species of wildlife.”

The polling also found that almost 98% (97.7%) of people in Wales consider protecting Welsh wildlife to be important to them, with 69.4% stating that it is ‘very important’ and 28.3% stating that it is ‘somewhat important’

This suggests that in Wales badgers are among most popular species of wildlife with more than 73% of people (72.5%) surveyed choosing them as one of the species they are most concerned about when asked to select a ‘top 3’

Majority 

A clear majority of the public have positive associations with badgers as a species – almost 54% (53.8%)of those surveyed recognise them as ‘iconic British mammals’ while 43.5% consider them ‘heavily misunderstood’.

Significantly more people are against badger culling (45.8%) than support it (26.6%). 27.6% of respondents stated that they ‘don’t know’. This indicates that almost three quarters of the public do not outrightly support badger culling as it stands.

As an issue, badger culling directly impacts the political support of almost 60% of the public in Wales. More than half of people in Wales (51.8%) would be less likely to support a political party that supports badger culling, with only 7.2% of people more likely. It would not impact the support of 30.5% of people while 10.5% selected ‘don’t know’

In RSPCA Cymru’s manifesto for the seventh Senedd – ‘Securing A Better Future For Animal Welfare in Wales’ – the charity highlights how animal welfare can be improved and prioritised by the next Welsh Government, the growing number of Senedd Members and political parties across Wales.

One of the manifesto calls is rejecting the culling of badgers, which is an ineffective and inhumane method of tackling Bovine TB in cattle that involves either trapping badgers in cages and shooting them, or shooting free-roaming badgers at night.

For more information about badgers and the law click here.