Wild beavers are set to make a comeback in England after centuries of absence.
The government has today approved their wild release, in a long-awaited move that’s pleased environmental groups.
But concerns from farmers about the impact on land and crops have prompted officials to say that licences to kill beavers could be issued “as a last resort”.
The decision to reintroduce wild beavers has been bogged down in politics in recent years.
Hunted to extinction around 400 years ago, this century the humble rodent found itself high on the political agenda thanks to its environmental benefits.
The semiaquatic mammals create dams, which work as natural flood defences – just as climate change ramps up the risk of flooding.
The wetlands they create also provide a habitat for other wildlife, in a country where nature is among the most degraded in the world.
In 2021 Boris Johnson pledged with much fanfare to “build back beaver”, but the issue was later dropped by the Conservatives as “not a priority”.
Trial introductions in enclosures have been hailed a success, and Natural England this month found beavers can help the country’s rising flood risk.
Today, the Labour government set out plans to allow the animals to live in the wild.
All existing populations currently in enclosures will be “allowed to remain and expand naturally”. New projects will need to work up 10-year plans before being granted a licence by Natural England.
Farmers warned beavers can flood their fields, munch through crops such as maize and damage trees.
The environment department acknowledged the animals have “the potential to cause problems in some situations” but said the “overall benefits provided by wild beaver populations more than outweigh the risks”.
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Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, said their return was a “significant landmark for nature recovery in England”.
The first release of wild beavers is planned for Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve, under a licence issued to the National Trust.
The charity’s director general Hilary McGrady said: “This is fantastic news for nature recovery and people’s livelihoods.
“Beavers are unparalleled in their ability to restore landscapes, create wetlands that manage flood risk, improve our water quality, and bring back wildlife.”
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Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, welcomed the news given the benefits beavers bring to “farms and wider society”.
A “well-structured” beaver management plan would ensure “lethal control is only used when absolutely necessary”, he added.
David Exwood, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, said beavers can provide “certain benefits”, but urged the government to flesh out its management plan before allowing any more wild releases – including permitting “lethal control, if beavers become disruptive”.
