Policy paper

Summary of 2023 supplementary badger control operations

Published 11 April 2024

Applies to England

Background

In July 2017, Defra announced 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 operations across 2 areas, over a 5-year period.  This authorisation was extended to permit licensing of a third area in 2019 and 7 areas in 2020. In May 2021, Defra updated its guidance to Natural England and subsequently supplementary badger control operations were authorised for a 2-year period only in 11 areas in 2021, 10 areas in 2022 and a further 11 areas in 2023.

Badger control licences are required to be re-authorised each year. In 2023, badger control licences were re-authorised to take place for a fifth year in 1 area, a fourth year in 7 areas and a second year in 11 areas.  An additional 11 areas were granted badger control licences in 2023, including:

• 1 area in Avon
• 1 in Cheshire
• 1 in Cornwall
• 2 in Devon
• 1 in Dorset
• 1 in Herefordshire
• 2 in Staffordshire
• 2 in Wiltshire

Operations were authorised to take place between 1 June 2023 and 14 January 2024. 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 September 2023.

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 2023, 24 supplementary control areas met the required level of culling effort and spatial coverage across their areas. 18 of these areas achieved their minimum and did not exceed their maximum number, while 6 of these supplementary control areas (Areas 5- Cornwall, 6- Devon, 7- Devon, 8- Dorset, 22- Cornwall and 41- Staffordshire) ceased operations having removed fewer than their minimum numbers.

Three areas, Area 10- Herefordshire, 30– Somerset and Area 39- Dorset ceased operations marginally below on their required level of effort, and Area 10- Herefordshire also did not achieve their minimum number. These areas were considered effective.

A further 2 areas, Area 3- Dorset and Area 4- Cornwall ceased operations below their effort requirement and did not achieve their minimum number. These areas were deemed to not have completed an effective cull.

In 2023, all supplementary control areas met the required level of spatial coverage.

Area 34- Cheshire had an update to their minimum and maximum numbers during 2023 operations. This was due to current minimum and maximum number creation methodology not taking into account large boundary changes in their second year of intensive cull operations. Area 34- Cheshire therefore had a 20% increase to their minimum and maximum numbers to reflect their increase in size during their second year of intensive operations.

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	36	32	4
Area 4 – Cornwall*	131	380	72	57	15
Area 5 – Cornwall*	152	461	40	28	12
Area 6 – Devon*	294	1173	126	102	24
Area 7 – Devon*	145	455	107	102	5
Area 8 – Dorset*	475	1685	229	228	1
Area 9 – Gloucestershire	219	1118	264	246	18
Area 10 – Herefordshire*	90	359	71	71	0
Area 22 – Cornwall*	448	1948	379	361	18
Area 23 - Devon	146	1465	456	417	39
Area 24 - Devon	114	421	155	133	22
Area 25 - Devon	39	534	179	174	5
Area 26 - Devon	55	569	155	150	5
Area 27 - Devon	36	154	70	70	0
Area 28 - Devon	36	302	82	55	27
Area 29 - Gloucestershire	172	878	360	317	43
Area 30 – Somerset	230	1795	231	203	28
Area 31 - Staffordshire	373	2492	678	632	46
Area 33 - Avon	74	707	473	439	34
Area 34 - Cheshire	117	1124	1055	981	74
Area 35 - Cornwall	263	1897	380	294	86
Area 36 - Staffordshire	100	648	184	178	6
Area 37 - Devon	193	985	369	348	21
Area 38 - Devon	173	1316	386	346	40
Area 39 - Dorset	51	484	154	154	0
Area 40 - Herefordshire	281	1253	506	474	32
Area 41 - Staffordshire*	351	809	243	237	6
Area 42- Wiltshire	19	2550	338	329	9
Area 43- Wiltshire	64	1005	442	412	30

* 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 2023 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. 

Eight visits were conducted during the 2023 operational period. No compliance issues were identified during these visits. There was 1 self-reported contractor shooting event where a badger was shot at but not retrieved, this took place in Area 35- Cornwall. Natural England investigated this shooting event to ascertain the circumstances and concluded the badger was wounded and lost. This represents 0.01% of the total number of badgers removed.

Sett surveys

Sett surveys were required by all SBC areas prior to licensing or re-authorisation in 2023. In addition, as in previous years Natural England undertook sett checks in areas that did not meet their minimum number in the preceding year to confirm the continued presence of badgers in these areas.

Natural England Chief Scientist’s advice on the outcome of supplementary badger control 2023

The badger population reductions achieved in the 29 SBC areas in 2023, 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, 18 out of the 29 areas deployed a sufficient level and spatial distribution of culling effort and removed the minimum number of badger’s set, and conclude that they have completed effective supplementary culls.

In a further 6 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 6 areas. 

In 1 area, Area 10- Herefordshire, 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.

In 2 further areas (Area 30- Somerset and Area 39- Dorset), although the minimum number of badgers set were removed, the level of culling effort deployed across the area was marginally below that expected. However, as it was marginal and 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 effective supplementary culls took place.

In 2 areas, (Area 3- Dorset and Area 4- Cornwall), whilst the spatial distribution of effort across these 2 areas was sufficient, they did not meet the minimum number of badgers set and the level of effort deployed fell short of expectations. Consequently, I concluded that these areas did not complete effective supplementary culls and further investigation will be required before any consideration of re-authorisation in 2024 in respect of Area 4-Cornwall. (the licence has now expired for Area 3-Dorset).

The minimum and maximum numbers for 2024 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 2023

In 2023, 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 10, 22 to 31 and 33 to 43). My advice for the intensive cull areas (Areas 44 to 72) will be released separately. Operations ceased in 2021 in Areas 1 and 2 after 5 years of supplementary badger control. Areas 11 to 21 ceased operations in 2022 after 2 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 27 of the 29 areas delivered sufficient levels of effort and coverage required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits and delivered an effective cull, despite some areas not meeting their minimum number. Area 3 – Dorset and Area 4 – Cornwall were not deemed to have completed an effective cull due to low levels of effort not meeting their minimum number. In 2024, some 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.

Prof. Christine Middlemiss
Chief Veterinary Officer