A 'limited' badger cull in certain areas of Northern Ireland is included within a new strategy to eradicate bovine TB in the province.
The measure is part of a new long-term bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication strategy, announced by the Department of Agriculture (DAERA).
It also includes additional cattle measures, the testing of non-bovines, enhanced biosecurity and a review of compensation to farmers for animals removed under the TB Eradication Programme.
Announcing the strategy, DAERA farming minister Edwin Poots said that badgers were "a significant factor in TB maintenance and spread in the environment."
"I appreciate that this is an emotive issue for many but in order to ensure a healthy cattle population I intend to introduce a programme of badger intervention in a limited number of areas.
"I want to make clear this is not the wholescale removal of badgers across Northern Ireland nor is it the removal of all badgers in an area."
Mr Poots said the strategy would be based on the experiences and successes seen in other parts of the UK, as well as in the Republic of Ireland.
"I would hope that we can in a short number of years be able to move to a programme of badger vaccination and therefore we will have a healthy cattle and badger population," he added.
The annual cost of the TB programme is around £36 - £40m, almost half of which is paid in compensation for infected cattle. Mr Poots said this was 'not sustainable' as it was a 'drain on the public purse'.
"I am however, very aware that the farming industry faces a number of challenges at the moment and into the immediate future," the minister added.
“Therefore, whilst acknowledging the need for changes to our compensation system, I will not be introducing these at the moment but have asked my officials to review this in the medium term."
Responding, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) welcomed the government's proposal for a limited badger cull, calling it the 'right decision'.
UFU president Victor Chestnutt said: “We have reached a stage where bTB has become such a plague in NI that the only option we have to eradicate the disease is to implement wildlife intervention.
"Farmers cannot stand any further delays in tackling the disease even with the extra cost that it may bring. Their backs are against the wall. To protect their cattle and livelihoods, they simply want an end to it.”
The UFU said it had recently travelled to England to observe the badger culls in place. Each area that was visited, the union said it showed reductions in bTB, as well as increased biodiversity.
