Badgers and bovine TB
Bovine TB is predominantly a disease of cattle but can affect a range of species; there is a significant reservoir of infection in badgers. The disease is transmitted between cattle, between badgers, and between the two species.
Areas of England with a high incidence of bovine TB in cattle also tend to have high numbers of badgers, and the scientific evidence demonstrates conclusively that badgers contribute significantly to bovine TB in cattle. This evidence comes from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), in which there were positive and negative changes in the incidence of bovine TB in cattle as a result of badger culling. However, the relationship between bovine TB in badgers and in cattle is highly complex, and the rate of transmission between species is not in direct proportion to badger density.
The coalition Government has committed, as part of a package of measures, to developing affordable options for a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
Badger control training course guidance
Guidance for those wishing to run training courses has now been published. Course providers must show they have the relevant skills and experience to run and assess this specialist course.
- Establishing and running a badger culling training course and assessing competence: minimum course requirements
- Controlled shooting of badgers in the field under licence to prevent the spread of bovine TB in cattle
- Cage-trapping and shooting of badgers under licence to prevent the spread of bovine TB in cattle
The deadline for applications is 25 May 2012 and should be sent to tbbc@defra.gsi.gov.uk or:
TB Badger Control
Defra
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Courses will be assessed by Government and those of an appropriate standard will be approved.
Science-led, controlled culling of badgers
Following consultations in 2010 and 2011 (see below), Ministers announced on 14 December 2011 that they will allow controlled culling to be carried out by groups of farmers and landowners, as part of a science-led and carefully managed policy of badger control. Licences will be issued by Natural England under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 to enable groups of farmers and landowners in the worst affected areas, to reduce badger populations for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease at their own expense.
Culling operations will be paid for by the industry, delivered by trained operators and closely monitored by the Government. As a first step, there will be a pilot of the policy in two areas in 2012 to confirm our assumptions about the effectiveness (in terms of badger removal), humaneness and safety of controlled shooting. Subject to Natural England’s decisions on licence applications, the two areas will be West Gloucestershire and West Somerset (see news release, 19 January 2012).
An independent panel of experts has been appointed to report to ministers on the findings of the monitoring of the badger culling pilots by the end of 2012.
If Ministers decide to proceed following the pilots, a maximum of ten licences will be granted to start each year.
For more detail on the Government’s badger control policy, see the separate publications:
- The Government’s policy on bovine TB and badger control in England; and
- Guidance to Natural England: Licences to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB
More information on licensing arrangements can be found on Natural England’s website.
Consultation on the Government’s badger control policy
Our public consultation on the Government’s approach to tackling the disease and badger control policy ran from 15 September 2010 and concluded on 8 December 2010.
On 19 July 2011, the Secretary of State announced that she was strongly minded to allow controlled culling, carried out by groups of farmers and landowners, as part of a science-led and carefully managed policy of badger control. However, before a decision was made on whether to grant licences to permit the controlled removal of badgers, we needed to be sure that we could address a number of important issues that were raised during the 2010 public consultation. We therefore consulted on draft Guidance to Natural England. This guidance set out in detail how Natural England would exercise its function to issue licences to allow the controlled culling and/or vaccination of badgers in areas of high incidence of bovine TB in cattle in a carefully regulated way for the purpose of controlling the spread of the disease, if a decision were made to permit culling.
Badger protection legislation
Badgers were first given protection under the Badgers Act 1973 and badger setts were protected under the Badgers Act 1991. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 consolidated this earlier legislation.
Summary of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992
The 1992 Act makes it an offence to:
- kill, injure or take a badger
- cruelly ill-treat any badger
- interfere with a badger sett
Licensing Powers
Under the 1992 Act, licences may be granted by the Agricultural Departments (in England, this is Defra, in Wales, the National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department and in Scotland, the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department) for the following purposes;
a) to interfere with badger setts for the purpose of:
- any agricultural or forestry operation;
- any operation to maintain or improve any existing watercourse or drainage works, or to construct new works required for the drainage of land, including works of defence against seawater or tidal water;
- controlling foxes in order to protect livestock and penned game.
b) to kill or take badgers or to interfere with their setts for the purpose of;
- preventing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or any other form of property;
- preventing the spread of disease.
In England all licences regarding badgers are, in practice, granted by Natural England, either as the licensing Authority themselves or on behalf of the Secretary of State, depending on the purpose of the licence.