Government agency Natural England has issued licences for 11 additional areas including Lincolnshire, alongside re-introducing licences for 33 areas of the country where culling has already taken place in previous years.
The licences mean up to 70,000 badgers could be killed this year across much of England as part of efforts to control TB in livestock, which can catch the disease from the wild animals.
The latest expansion of the cull comes despite the Government signalling its intention to gradually phase out badger culling to tackle TB in livestock.
The licence runs from September 2020 until 31 January 2024 (inclusive) (or such longer period as may be specified by Natural England)
In response to the news, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “Bovine TB is one of the most difficult and intractable animal health challenges that the UK faces today, causing considerable trauma for farmers and costing taxpayers over £100 million every year.
“No-one wants to continue the cull of a protected species indefinitely.
“That is why we are accelerating other elements of our strategy, including vaccination and improved testing, so that we can eradicate this insidious disease and start to phase out badger culling in England.”
The Government has been pushing ahead with efforts to roll out an effective vaccine against the disease for cattle.
In March, it also said there were plans to vaccinate more badgers and for a “gradual phasing out of intensive culling” of the wild animals beginning in the next few years.
Adam Grogan, Head of the RSPCA’s wildlife department said: “We are shocked that the Government is stepping up its inhumane and ineffective badger cull despite its recently announced commitment to “government-supported badger vaccination and surveillance”.
“Earlier this year, the Government in England gave a clear commitment to support and develop badger vaccination programmes as a way of controlling bovine TB in cattle.
“The proposed licensing of cull areas in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire go against this commitment.”
Wildlife enthusiast and RSPCA Vice President, Chris Packham, added: “Culling badgers is not the answer and it’s high time this policy was scrapped. It has been cruel and ineffective and we have been calling for some time for an alternative strategy to control bovine TB that focuses on cattle which includes proper herd health plans, vaccination and improved testing.
“We are calling on the Government in England to fast track its proposed improvements to cattle based measures, along with badger vaccination, which will be the best solution for badgers, cattle and farmers.”
Dominic Dyer, of the Badger Trust, said the culling policy could push the species to the verge of local extinction in areas it has inhabited since the Ice Age.
“This is no longer a badger control policy, it’s a badger eradication exercise,” he said.
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