A new and simplified licence for vaccinating badgers has been
rolled out today, 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.
