Licence to cage-trap badgers for bovine TB vaccination (CL48) - GOV.UK

2022-05-29 00:04:27 By : Mr. CHANGGUI YU

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licences-to-cage-trap-and-mark-badgers-for-bovine-tb-vaccination/licence-to-cage-trap-badgers-for-bovine-tb-vaccination-cl48

Date of issue: 26 May 2022 Valid until: 30 November 2022 Reference: WML-CL48

This licence permits the use of cage traps to capture badgers (Meles meles) so they can be vaccinated against bovine tuberculosis (TB). This is for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease.

It also permits the use of artificial light, if required.

This licence covers England only.

You can only register for this licence if you have completed the Bovine TB: Badger vaccination training.

You must follow all relevant legislation when carrying out authorised activities under this licence.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has issued this licence under the power in section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and section 16(3)(g) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This licence complies with Article 9(1) of the Bern Convention.

Natural England has advised the Secretary of State and Defra on how this licence should be granted.

The Secretary of State may change or revoke this licence at any time.

You will need to fill in the form register as an authorised person to get a licence to cage-trap badgers.

You need to have completed the Bovine TB: Badger vaccination training and provide proof of this as part of your registration.

Defra will review your registration form to check you are eligible for this licence.

Natural England will also review your registration if you need the Licence to mark cage-trapped badgers to enable the identification of individuals administered with a badger BCG vaccine (CL49).

It usually takes around 2 working days to hear back.

If successful, you’ll receive an email confirming you’re registered as an authorised person for this licence and CL49, if required.

You cannot use either of these licences until you’ve received this confirmation.

After you’re registered, you’ll be added to a list of registered licence holders.

If your registration for either licence is unsuccessful, you may still be able to apply to Natural England for an individual licence to take and mark badgers to enable vaccination.

You cannot use this licence if you have been convicted of a wildlife offence on or after 1 January 2010, unless one or both of the following applies:

You cannot use this licence if the Secretary of State has withdrawn your permission to use it.

This licence is valid in England, landward of the mean high-water mark (mark that shows the highest level that the sea or river reaches as a particular place).

This licence is valid from 26 May 2022 to 30 November 2022.

You will need to register each year you want to use this licence.

If you do not follow this licence’s conditions, you may:

The Secretary of State will notify you in writing if your authorisation to use this licence is withdrawn. This may affect your ability to use any other wildlife management licences you may have.

Natural England may make pre-arranged or unannounced site visits to check you are following this licence’s terms and conditions.

This licence only permits you to use cage traps to capture badgers so they can be vaccinated against bovine TB to prevent the spread of disease and for no other purpose.

You must meet all conditions of this licence.

You must also follow the Additional conditions for CL48 and CL49: to protect land, species and habitats when cage-trapping or marking badgers.

You must avoid causing any unnecessary suffering to badgers when using this licence.

You must not set traps to catch when weather conditions are, or likely to be, extreme (for example strong wind, heavy or prolonged rain, or very low or high temperatures).

Place your traps under natural cover to shelter trapped animals if extreme conditions develop after you’ve set a trap to catch.

Before you set traps you must have an attending vet available on call so they can be at the trapping location in less than an hour, if needed.

When carrying out the authorised activities under this licence, you must follow all relevant legislation. For further information, read the Animal Welfare Act 2006: what it means for wildlife.

You must only use this licence in the open season. This runs from 1 May 2022 to 30 November 2022.

After the open season ends, you must keep any traps left outside fixed open or closed so they cannot accidentally capture an animal. You must remove any bait or water from the trap.

You must get explicit permission from the relevant landowner to access land you want to place traps on. This licence does not give you the right to enter private land.

You should get it agreed in writing from the landowner that you can access their land and get a map that clearly shows the boundaries of the area where they have given you access.

You must not place traps:

Where traps are on a slope, secure them to stop them toppling over if a trapped animal tries to move inside them.

Complete a thorough survey of the land so you know:

The best time to place traps is during the daytime. Avoid placing traps during dusk or dawn as this is when badgers are most likely to be active above ground.

For more information, read the guidance on how to cage-trap and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

You must record the location of each cage trap you’ve placed (including ones that have been fixed in an open or closed position).

You must keep accurate and sharable records of where your traps are set. This is so another person can easily find your traps, in case you are unable to check them yourself.

You must report all activity you’ve taken under this licence to Defra. This includes:

Defra may share this information with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Natural England.

You can download the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) app to report your activity to Defra. Your sign in details can be found in the email that confirms you are registered as an authorised person.

The app is available on:

If you’re unable to use this app, contact us to discuss another way to report your activity at badger.vaccination@defra.gov.uk.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to safely set, use and maintain traps.

To capture live badgers humanely, your cage traps must be certified and suitable for use in England.

If your trap was made on or after 28 March 2019, it must have a permanent mark from the manufacturer that shows its type and make are certified.

You must use traps that:

In any part of the trap, you must not use:

You should check your traps are in good working condition each time before you use them.

Replace or repair any faulty or damaged parts.

To reduce the risk of injury to badgers, you must only use approved triggering mechanisms and materials. These are:

For information on these 2 methods, read the guidance cage-trap and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

You must check if your trap has captured an animal the day after you set it to catch. Do this as soon as possible after dawn and before:

If you have caught a badger that already has a fur clip and stock marker, which shows it has already been vaccinated that season, you must release it. You must not reset traps to catch at this sett or trapping location.

If any traps you’ve set to catch have been out in unexpected extreme weather, check them first.

Approach traps slowly and quietly to avoid causing unnecessary stress to any animals inside the trap.

Traps should be checked by the same person who set them or a person who oversaw the traps being set to catch.

Your attending vet can provide treatment or advice if you have trapped a badger that:

You can only vaccinate badgers captured under this licence, and mark them under licence CL49, if you have also completed an approved vaccination training course.

A qualified vet can vaccinate badgers captured under this licence without needing to register as an authorised person but:

Badgers can only be vaccinated if they’ve:

After vaccinating the badger, someone who is registered to do so must temporarily mark it with a fur clip and stock marker, following the conditions of licence CL49.

After vaccinating the badger, wait at least 5 minutes to check if it has an adverse reaction to the vaccine. You must get help from your directing or attending vet if a badger:

You must report any adverse or suspected adverse reactions to the vaccine as explained in condition 5.

If a badger has died from a suspected reaction to the vaccine, you should get advice from your directing or attending vet. They should advise you on what to do with the carcass.

For more information on the health and welfare assessment and dealing with any adverse reactions to the vaccine, read the cage-trap and mark badgers to enable vaccination to prevent the spread of bovine TB guidance.

After a badger has been vaccinated, marked and checked to see if it’s fit and healthy, you must release it at the point of capture.

If you have captured a young cub, you should not release it at the point of capture. Instead, you should lift the whole trap with the cub inside it and take it to the nearest active sett entrance and release it.

You must release any captured non-target animals as soon as possible, at the place of capture, unless they cannot be legally released.

If you trap non-target animals, what you should do depends on if they are:

If the animal shows no sign of injury, you must immediately:

If the domesticated animal is injured, you must immediately:

If you trap a wild non-target animal, you must release it immediately at the point of capture, if it’s fit to release.

If the wild animal is seriously injured, and it would be inhumane to release it, you must immediately take it to a vet or kill it humanely.

You must not release any animal that does not regularly live in or visit Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) for example, a raccoon or coati.

You must follow the rules for Part 1, Part 1A and Part 1B species if you catch a species listed in schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

For Part 1 species, such as Canada geese and ring-necked parakeets, you must either:

For Part 1A species, such as barn owls, red kite and goshawk, you must release it as soon as you find it, following the conditions of licence GL22.

For Part 1B species, such as beavers, you must either:

If you catch a species listed as an invasive non-native (alien) animal such as a grey squirrel you must not release it. You must quickly and humanely kill it or give it to a premises licensed to keep it.

For a list of licensed premises contact Natural England at invasive-alien-species-licence@naturalengland.org.uk.

Clean your traps and equipment every time you set traps at a new sett or trapping location with an approved disinfectant for TB.

For enquiries about this licence email us at badger.vaccination@defra.gov.uk.

For all other enquiries contact Defra by:

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

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