Policy paper

Summary of 2022 supplementary badger control operations

Published 5 April 2023

Applies to England

Background

In July 2017, Defra announced^{[footnote 1]} that as part of the government’s 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis and protect the livelihoods of dairy and beef farmers, Natural England could licence and authorise local farmers and landowners to carry out supplementary badger control (SBC) operations across 2 areas. This authorisation was extended to permit licensing of a third area in 2019, 7 areas in 2020, 11 areas in 2021 and a further 10 areas in 2022.

In 2022, badger control licences were re-authorised to take place for a fourth year in Dorset, for a third year in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and a second year in Cheshire, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. An additional 10 areas were granted badger control licences in 2022, including 1 area in Cornwall, 6 areas in Devon, 1 area in Gloucestershire, 1 area in Somerset and 1 area in Staffordshire. Operations were authorised to take place between 1 June 2022 and 13 January 2023. This document sets out the outcomes of these operations in those areas.

Effectiveness

Estimates for the number of badgers to be removed from each licensed area were provided by Defra for the purpose of giving advice to Natural England for the setting of minimum and maximum numbers. The estimates, methodologies and rationale used were published in October 2022^{[footnote 2]}.

As in previous years, Natural England monitored the progress in licensed areas. The numbers of badgers removed were reported in accessible land parcels on a regular basis. This provided information on the number of badgers dispatched, the spatial distribution of badger control activity and the effort that was deployed. This enabled an assessment of the progress that each badger control company was making towards achieving the minimum and maximum numbers, and allowed Natural England to assess whether resources were being effectively deployed across accessible land.

Progress towards minimum and maximum numbers

In 2022, 26 supplementary control areas met the required level of culling effort and spatial coverage across their areas. 19 of these areas achieved their minimum and did not exceed their maximum number, while 8 supplementary control areas (Areas 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 19) ceased operations having removed fewer than their minimum numbers.

One area, Area 4 – Cornwall ceased operations marginally below on their required level of effort, and 2 areas, Area 13 – Devon and Area 21 – Wiltshire ceased operations marginally below on their spatial coverage.

The number of badgers removed against the minimum and maximum number is presented in Table 1 for each licensed area.

Table 1: Total number of badgers removed per licensed area

Area	Minimum number	Maximum number	Badgers removed	Removed by controlled shooting	Removed by cage trapping
Area 3 – Dorset*	163	383	57	48	9
Area 4 – Cornwall*	131	380	86	70	16
Area 5 – Cornwall*	152	461	56	42	14
Area 6 – Devon*	294	1173	186	160	26
Area 7 – Devon*	145	455	120	109	11
Area 8 – Dorset*	475	1685	352	344	8
Area 9 – Gloucestershire	219	1118	305	262	43
Area 10 – Herefordshire	90	359	123	118	5
Area 11 – Cheshire	122	408	191	186	5
Area 12 – Devon	194	1155	329	276	53
Area 13 – Devon	180	711	251	211	40
Area 14 – Devon	85	425	155	147	8
Area 15 – Devon*	157	393	93	63	30
Area 16 – Dorset	427	2057	434	402	32
Area 17 – Somerset	86	723	248	231	17
Area 18 – Somerset	50	302	87	84	3
Area 19 – Wiltshire*	292	1274	267	250	17
Area 20 – Wiltshire	154	595	313	242	71
Area 21 – Wiltshire	122	763	135	123	12
Area 22 – Cornwall	448	1948	495	435	60
Area 23 - Devon	146	1465	729	619	110
Area 24 - Devon	114	421	142	122	20
Area 25 - Devon	39	534	240	183	57
Area 26 - Devon	55	569	284	243	41
Area 27 - Devon	36	154	68	60	8
Area 28 - Devon	36	302	98	45	53
Area 29 - Gloucestershire	172	878	453	402	51
Area 30 - Somerset	230	1795	578	536	42
Area 31 - Staffordshire	373	2492	1099	1011	88

* Areas that ceased operations having removed below their minimum numbers

Safety of the operations

Operations in all licensed areas were carried out to agreed standards of public safety. All contractors continued to receive updates prior to the commencement of operations in 2022 on the requirements of the published best practice guides, lessons learned and safety. In relation to the use of firearms, no incidents affecting public safety were reported in any of the areas.

Humaneness of controlled shooting

In SBC areas, Natural England assesses compliance with the standards set out in the best practice guides for the controlled shooting of free-ranging badgers and cage trapping and dispatch of badgers through risk-based monitoring. Monitoring is conducted by exception only and reserved for any new contractors or where information has been received on licensed activities.

One visit was conducted during the 2022 operational period. No compliance issues were identified during this visit. There were 3 self-reported contractor shooting events where a badger was shot at but not retrieved, 1 in Area 21 – Wiltshire, 1 in Area 22- Cornwall and 1 in Area 29 - Gloucestershire. Natural England investigated these shooting events to ascertain the circumstances and concluded the badgers were wounded and lost. This represents 0.04 % of the total number of badgers removed.

Sett surveys

Following the advice provided by Natural England’s Chief Scientist in 2020, sett surveys were required in all SBC areas prior to licensing / re-authorisation in 2022, which confirmed the continued presence of badgers in these areas.

Natural England Chief Scientist’s advice on the outcome of supplementary badger control 2022

The badger population reductions achieved in the 29 SBC areas have been evaluated on the basis of the numbers and locations of badgers culled, the numbers culled against effort over time, and our assessments of the level and spatial distribution of culling effort deployed.

Based on the available information, 19 out of the 29 areas deployed a sufficient level and spatial distribution of culling effort and removed the minimum number of badgers set, and conclude that they have completed effective supplementary culls.

In a further 7 areas, whilst these companies did not achieve the minimum number that was set, the spatial distribution of badger control activity and the level of culling effort that was deployed, suggests that the reduced badger population required by the policy has been maintained. As such, it has been concluded that effective supplementary culls have also taken place in these 7 areas. Discussions with the Chief Veterinary Officer regarding the remaining badger population concluded that localised extinction has not occurred in any of these 7 areas and that reduced numbers of badgers is likely due to a generally lower population.

In 2 areas (Area 13 – Devon and Area 21 - Wiltshire), although the minimum number of badgers set were removed, the spatial distribution of activity was marginally below that expected. However, as a sufficient level of culling effort was deployed across the area, I concluded that effective supplementary culls took place.

The final area, Area 4 – Cornwall, whilst this company did not remove the minimum number of badgers set, and their level of effort fell marginally short of expectations, the spatial distribution of this effort was sufficient across the area to give confidence that the reduced badger population has been maintained. I therefore concluded that an effective supplementary cull took place.

The minimum and maximum numbers for 2023 will be set in line with Defra’s commitments under the Bern Convention. We will continue to ensure that local extinction does not occur in order to protect the UK’s badger population. We will also continue to undertake surveillance and monitoring of other protected species in order to ensure that we avoid any adverse consequences on them.

Dr Tim Hill
Chief Scientist, Natural England

Chief Veterinary Officer’s advice on the outcome of supplementary badger control 2022

In 2022, I continued to provide oversight and advice on disease control and humaneness of the operations for 29 existing supplementary badger control areas (Areas 3 to 31). My advice for the intensive cull areas (Areas 33 to 72) will be released separately. Operations ceased in 2021 in Area 1-Gloucestershire and Area 2-Somerset after 5 years of supplementary badger control.

The aim of supplementary badger control is to preserve the disease control benefits which are expected from the completion of a 4-year badger control operation. To achieve this, supplementary control needs to be effective in maintaining a reduced level of badger population.

The badger population reductions achieved in the 29 areas have been evaluated based on the numbers and locations of badgers culled, the numbers culled against effort over time, and Natural England’s independent assessments of the level and spatial distribution of culling effort deployed.

With Natural England’s Chief Scientist, we have concluded that all 29 areas delivered sufficient levels of effort and coverage required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits, despite some areas not meeting their minimum number. In 2023, all supplementary badger control areas will be required to submit sett survey information before being granted a licence. This will be to provide confidence of remaining badger activity.

A reduction in the badger population has been maintained in the 29 areas and an effective supplementary cull has taken place.

Christine Middlemiss
Chief Veterinary Officer

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-authorisation-for-badger-control-in-2017 ↩

2. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-of-badgers-to-be-controlled-in-2022 ↩