First Badger Control Licence Issued
UK - This week, Natural England has issued a licence permitting the control of badgers in West Gloucestershire for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).
19 September 2012
2 minute read
Application for a licence was made by a specially formed company representing farming and land management interests covering approximately 300km2 and over 70 per cent of the West Gloucestershire pilot area.
Natural England has issued the licence having satisfied itself that the application meets the strict criteria set out in the Government’s bTB policy guidance, which specifies how control operations to prevent the spread of bTB can be carried out.
The licence has a four year term and authorises control operations to be conducted within the West Gloucestershire pilot area over a continuous six week period each year over the next four years. No control operations can be carried out during specified close seasons.
Under the terms of the licence, and in accordance with the criteria specified in the bTB control policy, licensees will be authorised to reduce badger populations in the pilot area by at least 70 per cent and maximum numbers will be specified to prevent the risk of local extinction.
Control operations can only commence once Natural England has formally confirmed with the Licensee the specific dates when these operations will take place, the persons authorised to carry them out, confirmation that the necessary funds are in place, and the permitted number of badgers that will be subject to control operations. These formal confirmations are expected to be completed within the next few weeks.
Natural England is continuing to assess a separate licence application relating to the West Somerset pilot area and will look to issue the licence as soon as possible after it is satisfied that the application has met the criteria in the bTB policy guidance.
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