“Public Support for Beaver Reintroductions in Scotland High But Government Agencies Lag Behind,” research conducted for the Scottish Rewilding Alliance reveals.
According to polling carried out by independent research agency Survation, 73% of respondents believe that Scotland’s public bodies should identify more sites on their land where beavers can live. This overwhelming support for bringing back beavers to suitable habitats is a call to action for government agencies to take the lead in reintroducing this native species.
“Government bodies that manage land on behalf of the public need to listen, and move ahead on reintroducing these key allies in tackling the nature and climate emergencies,” said Kevin Cumming, Deputy Convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance and Rewilding Director for Rewilding Britain.
Beavers play a crucial role in creating wetlands that benefit other wildlife, absorb carbon dioxide, purify water, and reduce flooding. They also bring economic benefits to local communities through eco-tourism. Moreover, relocating beavers from agricultural land where they can cause problems benefits both farmers and the beavers themselves, as it saves them from being shot. However, since 2019, an average of 88 Scottish beavers have been killed under license annually, potentially representing 20% of their population.
Despite the Scottish Government’s call for government agencies to take action in returning the native species to public land, the progress has been slow. Since early 2022, only five beaver families have been relocated beyond their current range, all within Cairngorms National Park.
“The Cairngorms National Park Authority is setting an example of what can be achieved, with beavers released at several sites and plans for more over the next five years. It is time for our other public agencies to follow suit and end their go-slow approach to restoring this biodiversity-boosting, flood-reducing, and habitat-creating species,” said Cumming.
NatureScot, the Scottish Government’s nature agency responsible for issuing lethal control licenses, has yet to lead on beaver relocations to its national nature reserves. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), the country’s largest manager of public land, has also been slow in taking action, despite managing 640,000 hectares of land, including many waterways known to be highly suitable for beavers.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance is calling for bolder action from FLS, especially since they have been involved in a potential beaver reintroduction in Glen Affric. This proposal has been met with support from a significant majority of the local community after extensive consultations. Meanwhile, NatureScot has been slow to relocate beavers to its national nature reserves.
Beavers were driven to extinction in Scotland about 400 years ago, before their official reintroduction in 2016 and recognition as a protected species in 2019. Reintroducing beavers to new areas requires appropriate habitat assessments and public consultation.
Farmer Tom Bowser, from Argaty near Doune, has successfully reintroduced several beavers to his family farm under license, saving them from culling. “The beavers have only brought us benefits. Their dams, in what was once a flood-prone part of our farm, have saved us real money in annual track repairs because we just don’t see floods there anymore,” said Bowser.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance advocates for prioritizing relocations when landowners have problems, with lethal control licenses only issued as a genuine last resort. The Alliance also suggests paying farmers for having beavers on their land.
The Scottish Beaver Strategy, published by NatureScot in 2022 after a process involving more than 50 stakeholder organizations, aims to support communities in maximizing the benefits of beavers while minimizing negative impacts. However, the success of this strategy depends on public bodies being more proactive in restoring beavers to public land.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance’s Rewilding Nation Charter, found at www.rewild.scot/charter, calls on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland a rewilding nation, with a commitment to nature recovery across 30% of land and sea. Since its launch this spring, thousands of individuals have already signed the Charter.
