Over 60 Leading Wildlife and Conservation NGOs Support Faster Beaver Restoration
More than 60 leading conservation, wildlife and nature organisations have come together to support an appeal by Beaver Trust to speed up the restoration of beavers to Britain.
“The loss of beavers from our natural environment has coincided with a dramatic decline of the UK’s wetlands – in England alone we have lost over 90% since pre-industrial times – and the reality is that this is no coincidence. Beavers actively ‘engineer’ the landscape they inhabit, creating wetlands and bringing a whole host of benefits to society in the process. Restoring beavers as a natural feature of the UK landscape would make a major contribution to biodiversity restoration targets and could also help tackle other important issues such as pollution and flooding problems.” James Robinson, Director of Conservation, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Following a recent statement by Secretary of State for the Environment, George Eustice MP, that beavers are native to Britain, and support for their restoration by Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, Beaver Trust sent a letter to government asking for commitment on an ambitious strategy by the end of 2020 for beaver restoration across England.
The letter asks the government to ensure there is no moratorium on the current, effective system of beaver licensing and to speed up reasonable applications as part of their work to address our climate and ecological emergency.
“After a decade since the first licensed reintroduction of beavers back into our rivers, there is now clear evidence that beavers benefit both nature and people. These native, ecosystem engineers provide effective nature based solutions to the current climate crisis by helping to slow the flow of flood waters as well as improving water quality and wildlife habitat. We are excited by the opportunities offered by them forming a natural part of our river systems again.” Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation & Restoration Ecology, National Trust
Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, ranked 189th out of 218. Only 14% of our rivers are in good ecological condition.
Beavers are nature’s builders, creating complex wetland mosaics along rivers. They help slow the flow of water and purify it of toxins; store water during droughts and reduce the impact of flooding events. They also regenerate biodiversity by building food-rich habitats for a huge range of other wildlife.
Unlike Scotland and most of Europe, beavers are not protected as a native species in England and their recovery from extinction is slow.
“The RSPB is wholly supportive of licenced beaver reintroductions. Beavers are a keystone species with the ability to influence and restore natural processes to the landscape, for the benefit not just of birds and other wildlife, but in helping us manage water flow and ensuring our rivers are in good condition. We would love to see more of these very special creatures.” Emma Marsh, Director, RSPB England
A decade of learning from living alongside beavers in Scotland, combined with the 5-year documented project on the River Otter in Devon demonstrate how the benefits of beavers far outweigh any drawbacks.
“Over half of Britain’s woodland wildlife is in decline. Beavers could play a positive role in improving the condition of native woodland through helping to ‘coppice’ trees like willow, hazel, rowan and aspen. The regrowth provides varied woodland homes for a range of declining insects, plants and birds.” Nick Phillips, Head of Conservation Policy, Woodland Trust
Public support for beavers from town and country is high and rising, with numerous media editorials backing their return.
The 6 goals of the Government’s commendable 25 Year Environment Plan commit to provide clean air, water, a thriving ecology, a reduced impact from natural events, to use resources from nature sustainably and to ensure ‘beauty, heritage and engagement’ with our natural environment. They are all in large part satisfied by the ecosystem engineering activities of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber).
“Beaver Trust and the letter signatories have offered the government their support developing policy changes and a national strategy for restoring beavers across our rivers. We are delighted to have helped mobilise and align so many NGOs, conservation groups and estates. We now encourage the public to back this urgent action.” James Wallace, Director, Beaver Trust
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Two hundred percent support for mote beaver reintroduction. Note that it is REintroduction not introduction as beavers part of our wildlife many years ago . It seems we are receiving supportive words from this Government and Natural England for this but we can never really believe our politicians. We often receive half truths rarely the whole truth. Their ability to delay and prevaricate is huge as we see so many many times while they hold “consultations” with their supporters namely the large land owners. They,, as has been said, often have a totally disproportionate negative influence in conservation matters.
If there are more reintroductions then beavers will need legal protection, in fact they need it right now, as there are always some ruthless shooters who will try to kill them. Again, we may expect more prevarication on this.
And don’t forget to email or write the Scottish Government and the SNP and Scottish Greens to let them know how badly they are failing, by mandating culling of beavers in Tayside instead of relocating them to places in the Lowlands below the M8 line. Hamilton, Kilmarnock, and even Kelvinbridge in Glasgowitself are ideal beaver release sites. The fact that beavers, and the conservation tourism money that comes with them, is being held back from the lowlands and SW Scotland is criminal. It is criminal that the beaver is not back in these natural habitats.