A government-backed badger vaccination scheme has been relaunched
today by Farming Minister to help stop the spread
of bovine TB (bTB) in England.
The relaunched Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme, which was
suspended for two years following a global vaccine shortage,
opens for expressions of interest today, with projects set to
start in spring 2018. Successful applicants will receive a
government grant for 50% of their costs from a fund worth
£700,000 over four years.
The government also announced a contract has been awarded to
deliver a new bTB advisory service which will offer clear,
practical advice to help farmers protect their herds from the
disease and manage the impacts of a TB breakdown on their farm.
Both measures are key parts of the government’s strategy to
eradicate bTB in England, which includes one of the most rigorous
cattle surveillance programmes in the world, strong movement
controls, promoting good biosecurity, and badger control where
the disease is rife.
Bovine TB costs taxpayers over £100m every year and England has
the highest incidence of the disease in Europe. In 2016 more than
29,000 cattle had to be slaughtered in England to control the
disease, causing devastation and distress for farmers and rural
communities.
Farming Minister said:
“Bovine TB not only has a devastating impact on our beef and
dairy farms, but causes harm and distress to infected cattle. We
have a clear plan to eradicate the disease over the next 20 years
and this year we are restarting the government-backed Badger Edge
Vaccination Scheme to stop the disease spreading to new
areas.
“Vaccination is just one part of our comprehensive strategy,
which also includes tighter cattle controls, improved biosecurity
and badger control in areas where bTB is rife to tackle the
reservoir of disease in wildlife.
“While our eventual aim is to eradicate the disease completely,
farmers are facing the reality of bTB on their farms every day,
which is why we are also launching a new bTB Advisory Service to
offer advice to all farmers on limiting on-farm disease risk.”
New measures outlined today include:
- Eleven additional licences for badger control covering parts
of Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Cheshire. Licences have
been granted for supplementary badger control in areas of
Gloucestershire and Somerset which have completed their original
four-year licences.
- The relaunch of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme following
suspension due to a global shortage of TB vaccine, with groups
invited to submit expressions of interest and feedback on the
criteria for the scheme.
- A new bTB Advisory Service for farmers to provide advice
on-farm and by phone or email to farmers in High Risk and Edge
Areas on bTB biosecurity and risk-based trading, set to launch
this autumn.
- Tighter control of Inconclusive Reactors in the High Risk and
Edge Area, to come into force from 1 November.
Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens said:
“Taking action to prevent bovine TB infection of cattle from the
reservoir of disease in local badger populations is an essential
part of the government’s 25-year strategy to eradicate the
disease in England. Proactive badger control is currently the
best available option and the licensing of further areas is
necessary to realise disease control benefits across the High
Risk Area of England, rather than at local levels.”
In 2016 badger control operations in Somerset, Gloucestershire,
Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Herefordshire and Wiltshire were all
successful in meeting their targets, and the government is
committed to introducing badger control over a wider number of
areas in line with plans set out in the bTB strategy.
Notes to editors
