The beaver became extinct in England about 400 years ago. I understand that there were hunted to extinction. Beavers were reintroduced to the capital of the UK and other sites after this 400-year absence earlier this year. The reintroduction is to do with improving biodiversity, improving wetlands and protecting against flooding. According to the Beaver Trust it is almost all beneficial and any downside can be dealt with. In other words, the benefits far outstrip the downsides in the reintroduction of the Beaver to England. Their protection under the law as a great landmark which should be celebrated by all animal advocates and conservationists.
These are Eurasian beavers. It will now be a crime to capture, kill or injure or disturb beavers in England. Landowners can’t damage a beaver burrow or dam without a licence from Natural England (see more below).
The farmers are concerned about the impact that this will have on their businesses. But apparently on the European mainland, farmers don’t normally farm up to watercourses. They leave a 10-metre gap. This automatically leaves the beavers undisturbed. This doesn’t apply in the UK at present. This is something that the Beaver Trust wish to discuss with farmers I believe.
The Beaver Trust wants to speak with the National Farmers’ Union to discuss how they iron out their concerns. The union had previously objected to the beaver becoming a protected species. They were concerned about flooding damaging their land.
It’s a question of managing the beavers within the ambit of the law so that they can benefit the country and any detriment or concerns by farmers can be managed.
The law is: Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (the ‘Habitats Regulations’). Under the said legislation it is now an offence to:
- deliberately disturb a beaver – this includes any action likely to impair their ability to survive, breed or rear their young
- deliberately injure, capture or kill a beaver
- damage or destroy the breeding site or resting place of a beaver
- possess, control or transport a beaver
- sell or exchange a beaver
- offer a beaver for sale or exchange
This applies whether the beaver is alive or dead and includes beaver parts and derivatives.
Eurasian beavers have been reintroduced at various sites across Britain. In 2009 they were released in Scotland as part of a trial and the population in Scotland has doubled to 1,000 in three years.
The Beaver Trust are very enthusiastic about this change in the law and the benefits that beavers can bring to the country. They state that after humans, beavers alter the environment more than any other creature on the planet. They are able to create wetlands by building dams which is an important role in species biodiversity, restoration of the land immediately surrounding rivers which is where beavers operate and improve freshwater ecology.
Certain methods of managing beavers can deflect criticism of their presence by farmers. For example, when beavers forage, they fell trees for food and construction. Tree felling can be undesirable and even hazardous to certain people. Tress can be protected from beaver browsing with simple and inexpensive work according to the Beaver Trust.
Likewise, certain management techniques can be employed to resolve problems caused by dam building causing flooding issues to certain people.
The Beaver Trust even admits and is open to the possibility of trapping and euthanasia of beavers if their activities are considered to be detrimental to land use, infrastructure and livelihoods.
The point is that overall beavers are beneficial, and any downside can be dealt with through discussion and cooperation with farmers and other land uses.
