Dam! More beavers to be released into the wild
THEY were hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 16th century.
But now beavers could become a common sight after almost 300,000 acres of riverside woodland were earmarked as potential habitats.
Wildlife chiefs have published their plans for increasing the spread of the animals but the move has sparked fears among farmers and landowners.
They say beavers cause ‘significant and costly’ damage to farmland as they fell trees and dam waterways.
Government agency NatureScot hopes its strategy of identifying suitable habitats for beavers will end the conflict between farmers and conservationists.
The reintroduction of beavers to Scotland was first trialled in 2009, and by last year it was estimated the population had grown to around 1,000.
Digital mapping by NatureScot has now identified more than 290,000 acres of riverside woodland – much of it in the North-East – as having the potential to host beavers. But the plan admits that not all areas highlighted would be suitable because of conflict with farming and existing infrastructure.
Francesca Osowska, chief executive of NatureScot, said: ‘The strategy is probably one of the most ambitious and forward-looking approaches to conserving and managing a species that has ever been carried out.
‘We hope the publication of this beaver strategy will give a further impetus for landowners to look at the possibility of translocation and we’ll see a new phase of activity but it’s really difficult to put a timescale on it.’
One measure proposed is an incentive scheme for farmers who host beavers on their land.
Farmers have previously spoken out against the impact of beavers, saying fields have been flooded by their dams, crops ruined and longestablished trees toppled. NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy called for ‘a robust consultation process’ to be in place before any planned movement of beavers to a new location.
Conservationists insist that beavers should be tolerated because their dam-building creates beneficial wetlands.