Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 29, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Letters Veterinary Record and elsewhere, the BVA supported the pilot culls to determine whether controlled shooting could deliver a badger cull humanely and safely, and to the same degree of effectiveness as cage trapping and shooting, which was used in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). We also called for an independent group to monitor the humaneness, safety and efficacy. We now await the report of the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which will be considered by our committees, with input from members, before we take a decision on whether to support a wider roll-out of badger control using controlled shooting. When it was announced that culling would be extended, the BVA did not make any public comment as we had not had the opportunity to discuss and debate the issue with our divisions and members. Our Veterinary Policy Group (VPG) subsequently met on November 5 and discussed issues surrounding the extensions to the licences. Without preempting the results of the IEP report, the VPG noted the Secretary of State’s statement to Parliament that morning that current indications suggested that the controlled shooting of badgers had been safe and humane in both areas. The VPG then considered whether the extensions were appropriate given that the target reduction in the badger populations had not been achieved during the initial six-week period. It concluded that the extensions could be justified on the basis that, in the circumstances, it was on balance better to allow culling to continue in the pilot areas in order to reduce the overall weight of infection in the badger population and maximise the disease control benefits. This is without prejudice to the BVA’s position on wider roll-out. We have noted the reductions in
506 | Veterinary Record | November 23, 2013
badger population estimates and we will review this alongside the IEP’s report when considering our position on a wider roll-out of the policy. We will take a position on this, and the continued use of controlled shooting, when the IEP’s report is published and we invite BVA members to continue to feed in their views via the BVA community (www.bva.co.uk/community), particularly when the papers for the BVA Council meeting on December 11 are made available in the regional forums. We will also continue to push Defra for maximum transparency. Finally, it is essential that we continue to engage with the issue of bovine TB eradication in a holistic way. Readers might be interested in the joint BVA/BCVA response to Defra’s consultation on its TB strategy, which covers our positions on vaccination, control measures in cattle and alternative culling methods. The response can be found at www.bva.co.uk/ Consultations/Documents/BVA-BCVAjoint-response-TB-strategy-Oct-2013.pdf Robin Hargreaves, BVA President, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ doi: 10.1136/vr.f6964
VETERINARY PROFESSION
Veterinary knowledge and skills in animal behaviour WE are currently conducting an online survey and would be very grateful for the personal views of practitioners on the knowledge and skills needed in the veterinary profession regarding animal behaviour. This will help us to understand what, if any, curricula developments may be appropriate for both veterinarians and veterinary nurses. The online questionnaire should take about 30 minutes to complete and all the information that is collected will be processed anonymously. It can be accessed at www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/8917 We would encourage members of the veterinary profession to share information and views with us, and draw the attention of other veterinarians and veterinary nurses to the survey. On completing the survey, participants can also request a summary of the research findings. If anyone has any questions, please contact us at the addresses below. Mandy Roshier, University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD e-mail: [email protected] Anne McBride, University of Southampton, Student and Academic Administration, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.f6939
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 29, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Veterinary knowledge and skills in animal behaviour Mandy Roshier and Anne McBride Veterinary Record 2013 173: 506
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6939 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/20/506
These include:
Email alerting service
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Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
Letters Veterinary Record and elsewhere, the BVA supported the pilot culls to determine whether controlled shooting could deliver a badger cull humanely and safely, and to the same degree of effectiveness as cage trapping and shooting, which was used in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). We also called for an independent group to monitor the humaneness, safety and efficacy. We now await the report of the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which will be considered by our committees, with input from members, before we take a decision on whether to support a wider roll-out of badger control using controlled shooting. When it was announced that culling would be extended, the BVA did not make any public comment as we had not had the opportunity to discuss and debate the issue with our divisions and members. Our Veterinary Policy Group (VPG) subsequently met on November 5 and discussed issues surrounding the extensions to the licences. Without preempting the results of the IEP report, the VPG noted the Secretary of State’s statement to Parliament that morning that current indications suggested that the controlled shooting of badgers had been safe and humane in both areas. The VPG then considered whether the extensions were appropriate given that the target reduction in the badger populations had not been achieved during the initial six-week period. It concluded that the extensions could be justified on the basis that, in the circumstances, it was on balance better to allow culling to continue in the pilot areas in order to reduce the overall weight of infection in the badger population and maximise the disease control benefits. This is without prejudice to the BVA’s position on wider roll-out. We have noted the reductions in
506 | Veterinary Record | November 23, 2013
badger population estimates and we will review this alongside the IEP’s report when considering our position on a wider roll-out of the policy. We will take a position on this, and the continued use of controlled shooting, when the IEP’s report is published and we invite BVA members to continue to feed in their views via the BVA community (www.bva.co.uk/community), particularly when the papers for the BVA Council meeting on December 11 are made available in the regional forums. We will also continue to push Defra for maximum transparency. Finally, it is essential that we continue to engage with the issue of bovine TB eradication in a holistic way. Readers might be interested in the joint BVA/BCVA response to Defra’s consultation on its TB strategy, which covers our positions on vaccination, control measures in cattle and alternative culling methods. The response can be found at www.bva.co.uk/ Consultations/Documents/BVA-BCVAjoint-response-TB-strategy-Oct-2013.pdf Robin Hargreaves, BVA President, 7 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NQ doi: 10.1136/vr.f6964
VETERINARY PROFESSION
Veterinary knowledge and skills in animal behaviour WE are currently conducting an online survey and would be very grateful for the personal views of practitioners on the knowledge and skills needed in the veterinary profession regarding animal behaviour. This will help us to understand what, if any, curricula developments may be appropriate for both veterinarians and veterinary nurses. The online questionnaire should take about 30 minutes to complete and all the information that is collected will be processed anonymously. It can be accessed at www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/8917 We would encourage members of the veterinary profession to share information and views with us, and draw the attention of other veterinarians and veterinary nurses to the survey. On completing the survey, participants can also request a summary of the research findings. If anyone has any questions, please contact us at the addresses below. Mandy Roshier, University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD e-mail: [email protected] Anne McBride, University of Southampton, Student and Academic Administration, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.f6939
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 29, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Veterinary knowledge and skills in animal behaviour Mandy Roshier and Anne McBride Veterinary Record 2013 173: 506
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6939 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/20/506
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
