Western Daily Press (Saturday)
The culling of beavers ‘must only be a last resort’
The licensed killing of beavers is not the answer to managing the animal’s reintroduction, argues a conservation group.
ACONSERVATION group with strong West Country links which is dedicated to the reintroduction of beavers in Britain has flagged up concerns about the culling of large numbers of the animals in Scotland.
The Beaver Trust said the legal killing of a fifth of Scottish beavers last year highlights the need for fresh approach across Britain.
Statistics from Scottish Natural Heritage indicate 87 beavers were killed in 2019 under licence in Scotland, while 15 were trapped alive and released.
Chris Jones, director of the Beaver Trust, who has beavers on his farm in mid-Cornwall, said: “While beavers’ presence in agricultural areas on floodplains can result in problems for farmers, these challenges can be successfully managed. Germany’s Bavaria is just one of many international examples of how beavers and farmers can co-exist quite successfully alongside each other.”
The Trust argues the lethal control of the animals for agricultural reasons should only ever be a last resort, and that options such as relocating beavers to areas where they could benefit the landscape and be welcomed by local people should be considered.
Beavers are found in Scotland in Knapdale in Argyll, in Tayside and in the Forth. The Knapdale population began under a licensed trial in 2009 but the animals were first recorded in the wild in Tayside around 2006 having escaped from captive collections or been illegally released. The beaver population in the Tay and Forth was estimated to be 433 in 2017/18.
Beavers were given protected status in May 2009 but licences to kill or remove them are issued to prevent damage to farmers’ land.
In the Westcountry beavers are present on the River Otter and at enclosed reintroduction trial sites in the South West. Beavers are native to the UK and used to be widespread in England, Wales and Scotland. They became extinct in the 16th century, mainly because of hunting for their fur, meat and use in perfumes, food and medicine, and their reintroduction aims to benefit river ecosystems and help alleviate flooding.
The Beaver Trust was launched in 2019, working collaboratively with non-governmental organisations, farming, fishing and forestry groups and the Government to create a national strategy for restoring beavers and river habitats. It followed on from a 2017 project to release beavers in an enclosure at Mr Jones’ farm in Cornwall.
The scale of the officially sanctioned lethal control of beavers in Scotland in 2019 was revealed in a report released by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on May 28.
James Wallace, director of the Beaver Trust said: “Reintroducing beavers to Scotland has brought tremendous benefits to local ecosystems. Occasionally their presence also creates negative impacts for agriculture, but culling one fifth of the population in a single season is no answer.
“Further deaths must be reduced, and Beaver Trust is calling on landowners, farmers, the Government and conservation groups to work together urgently on simple, positive steps to prevent avoidable culling of this important animal in future.”
The Trust argues that the benefits of beavers significantly outweigh any disadvantages. It says the animals are expert ecosystem engineers that provide a vital and natural opportunity to sustainably adapt British landscapes to cope better with increased flooding and droughts, while improving the quality of our rivers and benefiting all sorts of other wildlife.
“Beavers are hugely valuable creatures and we must recognise them as such. There is a welcome demand and enthusiasm for their presence in other parts of the UK – so surely moving them is the best option, and lethal control should be a last resort,” said Chris Jones.
“Public support for beavers across Britain is rising exponentially as projects such as the five-year River Otter Beaver Trial in Devon prove their importance to our ecosystems.
“People want to see beavers back across our landscape and we need to learn fast how to co-exist with them. SNH’s report provides an important opportunity to collectively safeguard beavers and welcome their return.”
People want to see beavers back across our landscape
CHRIS JONES BEAVER TRUST
AMAJOR project to restore a West Country wetland landscape will lead the way in a new national approach to funding large-scale green initiatives.
The North Devon scheme, based on the restoration of the Caen wetlands close to the village of Braunton, aims to help alleviate local flood risk, offer eco-tourism opportunities, create new habitat for wildlife and capture significant amounts of climate-changing carbon.
Led by Devon Wildlife Trust, the wetland project is one of just four across the UK which have been selected to receive funding in a new pilot scheme to encourage sustainable private sector investment in the natural environment.
The initiative will spearhead a ‘green infrastructure’ investment approach using private finance, and Defra, the Environment Agency,
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Triodos Bank UK have come together to provide support.
The other projects involve flood management work along the Wyre catchment in Lancashire, the reducation of nitrate pollution in Poole Harbour and the conservation of peatlands in the Pennines.
Having been evaluated by Triodos Bank UK the projects will receive grant funding from Defra, the EA and EFF to support their development, complete business plans to attract private sector investment, and deliver long-term environmental benefits and sustainable financial returns.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan made clear that while the public sector will continue to be an important source of funding for the natural environment, it is critical that this is alongside more private sector investment to protect and enhance our environment.
“The UK is taking a leading global role in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, but given the scale of the challenge ahead it is crucial that environmental projects have the tools they need to attract private sector investment alongside our government support,” she said.
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, added: “You can’t put a price on nature but investing in its recovery can generate a steady return and will make the UK economy cleaner and more resilient. These projects are designed to attract investment into local economies while developing models for businesses to use and scale up around the world.”
Sited on the northern bank of the River Caen, the Caen Wetlands project is an innovative proposal to create an important natural habitat and a visitor resource in north Devon. The wetlands area is one of the UK’s most important sites for wetland birds but is under pressure from human impacts, climate change, and rising sea levels.
Devon Wildlife Trust has recently completed the purchase of its 57th Nature Reserve – Horsey Island. Located in the heart of the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Horsey Island is a wildlife rich area of intertidal wetland habitats extending to over 80 hectares and borders the tidal reaches of the River Caen which flows through Braunton and out into the Taw Estuary.
Alongside the restoration of the habitat, the development of the site for ecotourism through a visitor centre and other facilities will provide a source of income, with the seed funding being used by Devon Wildlife Trust to develop a business case for investment in the project.
Harry Barton, Devon Wildlife Trust CEO, said: “This is a truly outstanding natural and cultural landscape – over the coming months we’ll be working alongside a wide range of partners, expert consultants and local communities to explore the opportunities to create new wetland habitats and visitor facilities, where people will have the opportunity to see wildlife at its best.”
This is a truly outstanding natural and cultural landscape
HARRY BARTON, DEVON WILDLIFE TRUST