Will the BERN Convention save Britain’s Badgers

The Bern Convention challenges the UK’s badger cull policy as over 240,000 badgers are killed. Will Britain protect its wildlife or break its promises?

The Labour Government has again been called to account regarding its ongoing badger cull policy by the Bern Convention.

In June, the UK Government returned to the Bern Convention to defend its plans to continue the contentious badger culling policy, which has already led to the killing of over 240,000 badgers and is set to target thousands more in 2025.

The Bern Convention is an international treaty designed to conserve and protect Nature and wildlife. As a signatory, the UK is expected to adhere to its principles.

Badger Trust, Born Free, and Eurogroup for Animals have submitted further evidence to the Convention. This evidence highlights the ongoing inadequacy of the population census of badgers, a failure which risks localised extinction.

Although the Labour Government has acknowledged that culling is not a practical solution to Bovine TB in cattle, it is permitting intensive and supplementary culls to continue until at least January 2026. 

The BERN Committee has asked that the government explain why the cessation of licenses cannot occur sooner.

In a strongly worded statement, the Committee also asked for details on the methodologies used in culling. It sought information on other elements of the bTB strategy, such as vaccination programmes for badgers and cattle.

The Committee noted the government’s stated intention that no intensive or supplementary badger control licences will remain in effect after January 2026. However, it has asked for clarification to ensure that both types of licences will expire in January 2026, regardless of their issue date.

Additionally, the Bureau questioned why a moratorium on badger culling had not been considered as an option and requested a response to this by the next meeting.

The BERN Committee upheld the complainants and urged the government to engage with Badger Trust and its fellow complainants, Born Free and Eurogroup for Animals, to address their concerns and enable their participation in the development of the bTB strategy.

Nigel Palmer, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said: 

“We remain frustrated by this Labour government, which had explicitly pledged to end the ineffective badger culls. 

They have not only failed to fulfil their election promise to end the ineffective badger culls but have also perpetuated the failed policy of the previous government, resulting in the unnecessary killing of tens of thousands more badgers. This is completely indefensible.”

Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free, said,

“Badgers are a protected species under the Council of Europe’s Bern Convention. The UK government is a signatory to this Convention and is therefore obligated to implement its principles.

However, the UK government’s admission in its manifesto that the culls are ineffective means it has no legitimate grounds for continuing this policy."

Badger Trust shares the deep frustration expressed by the Bern Committee regarding the government’s contradictory words and actions. 

We will continue to campaign for badgers and to highlight the failings of the cull policy. We call on the Bern Committee to hold the UK Government to account for killing tens of thousands of badgers under what it has itself acknowledged is an ineffective approach.

“We remain frustrated by this Labour government, which had explicitly pledged to end the ineffective badger culls. 

They have not only failed to fulfil their election promise to end the ineffective badger culls but have also perpetuated the failed policy of the previous government, resulting in the unnecessary killing of tens of thousands more badgers. This is completely indefensible.”

Nigel Palmer, Badger Trust

“We remain frustrated by this Labour government, which had explicitly pledged to end the ineffective badger culls."