- Simplified licence will cut the administrative burden for
those wishing to vaccinate badgers – allowing more badgers
to be vaccinated
- Farmers, landowners and vaccination groups who have
successfully registered can use this licence from
today
- New smartphone app will allow vaccinators to report activity
in real-time
A new and simplified licence
for vaccinating badgers has been rolled out today (Thursday
26th May),
as part of government plans to step up efforts to eradicate
bovine TB in England by 2038.
The new licence to trap badgers
for vaccination enables those trained to undertake this activity
to register as an ‘authorised person’. This means applicants will
no longer need to apply for an individual licence, provide
extensive information in support of that application and wait up
to 30 working days for a decision.
In 2021, 1,575 badgers were
vaccinated across England, and it is hoped that the new licence –
alongside a new subsidy cutting the cost of the Badger BCG
vaccine by almost half – will facilitate and encourage more
farmers, landowners, and vaccination groups to get involved in
these projects. This includes a five-year programme in East
Sussex, which was awarded £2.27 million last year to support
farmers deploying vaccines over an area of 250 square kilometres.
This new process will boost vaccination efforts by making it
administratively simpler for those wishing and are trained to
undertake vaccination projects across England.
Biosecurity Minister
said:
“Bovine TB is one of the most
difficult and intractable animal health challenges that the UK
faces today, causing considerable trauma for farmers and costing
taxpayers over £100 million every year.
“The widespread vaccination of
badgers is a key cornerstone of our strategy to eradicate TB by
2038, with our new and simplified licence allowing more farmers
and vaccination groups to join the fight against this insidious
disease.”
Natural England will continue
to undertake visits to check that vaccination projects are
complying with the conditions of the licence and follow the
best practice
guide.
Today’s announcement forms part
of the Government’s long-term strategy to eradicate bovine TB in
England by 2038, which outlined plans to bring in badger and
cattle vaccination alongside other measures.
The licence has been published
online and those interested can register now. They will need to
provide information about their training experience and can
expect a decision within just 48 hours. If successful, they will
be able to start vaccinating badgers on land where they have the
landowner’s permission to do so straightaway and can report their
activity in real-time through a new smartphone app, developed by
the Worldwide Veterinary Service.
