Thread: TB control in Molesworth

Yes but the export percentage infected herds is below international threshhold. Certainly we need to keep it there ; no disagreement with that objective. However; had NZ isolated herds and not used highly unreliable bTb tests, culled and compensated along with destocking of cattle and replacing with sheep or cropping during fallow periods we could have and can still rid our country of the disease. The mass use of sodium monofluoroacetate could have been and can be avoided. The cost on farmers and NZ taxpayer had been billions and will continue if the failed methods are continued. There are other agendas though IMO.
Pest vectors exist but deer and pigs are end hosts rather than vectors. Vectors like brer possum can still be trapped effectively especially around farm boundaries but IMO has received inadequate government funding. Imagine if $50 million per year was allocated to trapping instead of practically nil? And yet more than this is paid out to poison businesses and gov't departments and NGO's annually.

I just opine that bTb could have been and still could be more efficiently managed and with much less socio economic and environmental harm.