Bovine TB: authorisation for supplementary badger control in 2020
Licences and conditions relating to licensed actions on or around protected sites.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Natural England has licensed and authorised 7 new supplementary badger control areas to begin operations in 2020. It has also authorised the licence holders to resume operations in 3 existing supplementary badger control areas in 2020. Licence holders met all the criteria specified in Defra’s guidance to Natural England, dated May 2018.
Table 1: Supplementary control areas authorised in 2020
1 June is the earliest possible date for the start of operations and is the start of the open season. Specific company start dates may vary within this and will be the decision of the company.
| Area number and county | Minimum number | Maximum number | Authorisation date | Year of operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1 - Gloucestershire | 125 | 540 | 15 May 2020 | Year 4 |
| Area 2 - Somerset | 109 | 578 | 15 May 2020 | Year 4 |
| Area 3 - Dorset | 163 | 383 | 15 May 2020 | Year 2 |
| Area 4 - Cornwall | 131 | 380 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 5 - Cornwall | 152 | 461 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 6 - Devon | 294 | 1173 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 7 - Devon | 145 | 455 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 8 - Dorset | 475 | 1685 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 9 - Gloucestershire | 219 | 1118 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
| Area 10 - Herefordshire | 90 | 359 | 15 May 2020 | Year 1 |
The licence holder will decide the start date for control operations within this period. Licence holders carry out operations under a 5-year licence. This allows badger control to take place in the licensed control area every year between 1 June and 31 January inclusive.
Natural England has confirmed to the licence holders the minimum and maximum numbers of badgers they can remove.
Protected sites listed in the Annex Bs are not necessarily part of any active operations. These can, and will only, occur on protected sites where the landowner or occupier has granted permission.
The licences only permit badger control to take place outside these closed seasons:
- controlled shooting – 1 February to 31 May
- cage-trapping and shooting – 1 December to 31 May