A new simplified licence for vaccinating badgers has been rolled out today as part of the government's plans to eradicate bovine TB in England.
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 and wait up to 30 working days for a decision by the government.
If successful, they will be able to start vaccinating badgers on land where they have the landowner’s permission.
They can report their activity in real-time through a new smartphone app, developed by the Worldwide Veterinary Service.
Farmers, landowners and vaccination groups who have successfully registered can use this licence from today (26 May), Defra explained.
The announcement forms part of the government’s strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038, which outlined plans to bring in badger and cattle vaccination alongside other measures.
In 2021, 1,575 badgers were vaccinated across England, and it is hoped that the new licence will encourage more farmers to get involved in these projects.
This includes a five-year programme in East Sussex, which was awarded over £2m last year to support vaccine deployment over an area of 250 square kilometres.
Defra said this new process would boost vaccination efforts by making it administratively simpler for those wishing to undertake vaccination projects.
Biosecurity Minister Lord Benyon 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 £100m 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.”
The licence has been published online and farmers, landowners and vaccination groups who are interested can register now on the Gov.UK website.
They will need to provide information about their training experience, and a decision would be made within 48 hours, Defra explained.
