Defra has announced new legislation that will provide legal protections for beavers in England and could pave the way for the animals to be released into the wild under licence.

The Wildlife Trusts welcome the protections for “nature’s engineers”, calling for sensible management guidance and incentives for landowners to make space for beavers on their land.

Beavers are key to creating thriving wetland ecosystems – which are critical for climate adaptation –and provide a wealth of benefits for nature and people.

Government had promised the legislation would be laid in parliament on Tuesday 19th July but pulled the plug at the eleventh hour, causing uproar among nature charities and the wider public.

The change in legal status will make it an offence to deliberately capture, kill, disturb, or injure beavers, or damage their breeding sites or resting places – without holding the appropriate license. The legislation is scheduled to come into force in the autumn.

In parallel, Natural England is developing guidance on the management of beavers, setting out which actions will or will not require a licence, and where people can go for advice.

Craig Bennett, chief executive, The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“We’re delighted to see the Government give beavers the vital protections they deserve. It is important that guidance is now developed quickly to bring farmers and landowners on board with reintroductions of these brilliant animals, providing reassurance and, crucially, incentives to make space for beavers on their land.

“The widespread return of wild beavers can be a game changer for restoring lost wetlands, benefitting all kinds of wildlife, and helping people by holding water back in the landscape, reducing the risk of wildfires and reducing the risk of flooding downstream. Bringing back wild beavers isn’t just a dream, it is a critical part of addressing the climate and nature crises.”

Harry Barton, chief executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, says:

“Our long-term studies demonstrate how spectacularly beneficial beavers are for healthy rivers, creating vital wetland habitat, and helping landscapes adapt to climate change. It’s a relief that Government has listened to the public and moved forward with these protections, which provide communities across the country with opportunities to benefit from these remarkable creatures.”

“The legal framework must complement practical and sensible approaches to management. Landowners must also be given the right support and financial motivations to make space for beavers and the valuable wetlands they create.”

The Wildlife Trusts urge the Government to:

· Support ambitious and carefully targeted reintroduction projects

· Reward landowners who make space for wetlands created by beavers

· Develop management systems that protect beavers and resolve issues effectively

· Support local beaver management groups to deliver advice and assistance

Beavers are a ‘keystone species’ and have a highly positive impact on their environment. The industrious herbivores are native to mainland Britain but were hunted to extinction in the 16th century by people who wanted their fur, meat, and scent glands. The end of beavers led to the loss of the mosaic of lakes, meres, mires, tarns, and boggy places that they were instrumental in creating.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust: Aspirations for a wild release of beavers onto the Isle of Wight 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust own and manage a whole suite of interconnected nature reserves along the Eastern Yar river on the Isle of Wight, Newchurch Moors being the furthest upstream, moving downstream through Alverstone Marshes and Sandown Meadows, down to Morton Marshes Nature Reserve, which together comprise approximately 300 acres of floodplain habitat.  

Due to the Eastern Yar having been straightened and dredged over the years to maximise use of the floodplain, the river has lost a lot of its complex habitats and doesn’t provide many refuges for wildlife, leading to reduced biodiversity and disconnection from the floodplain. Engineering of the river also leads to high energy flows, leading to soil erosion, resulting reduced water quality, and flash flooding following heavy rainfall.  

Beavers have been shown to boost biodiversity by creating a complex mosaic of pools along rivers behind their dams, where varied habitats can support a more diverse range of wildlife. Beaver dams have also been shown to slow the flow, reducing flash flood risk downstream. These dams also capture and filter out silt, sediment and other pollutants.  

As a result, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust aspire to release beavers into the Eastern Yar, to deliver benefits to wildlife and local communities alike.

Progress to date: 

• A feasibility study commissioned in 2020 found “The entire catchment to be highly suitable for beaver release and long-term occupation” with Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve, the proposed release site, being identified as having “Exceptionally good habitat for beaver”. 

• Following the favourable outcome of the feasibility study, and in order to support a licence application, the Trust launched a thorough consultation in January 2022 to engage local residents and gather opinions on a beaver release. A series of evening talks, public events and guided walks have and will continue to build the evidence base amongst locals, providing information on beaver ecology, likely impacts of a release, the benefits that could ensue, and how any potential conflict would be managed. 

• In February of 2022 the Trust mailed out a door drop questionnaire on beaver introduction to every address on the Island, complemented by an online version to maximise participation. With nearly 5,000 people taking part, 89% of respondents were in favour a beaver release on the Isle of Wight.  

• An Island-specific Beaver Management Strategy is being written to identify areas of risk and to outline methods in which assets can be protected, to minimise landowner conflict and promote coexistence and tolerance amongst local residents.  

• Currently Natural England are not accepting licence applications on wild releases of beavers prior to the development of Defra’s nationwide management strategy which may be released later this year. In the meantime the Trust will continue to work hard consulting with local stakeholders, especially those living close to watercourses to provide assurances on beaver impacts and management.  

The Wildlife Trusts & beavers

The Wildlife Trusts are at the forefront of beaver reintroductions in the UK and released a record number of beavers in 2021, with seventeen beavers released into fenced areas. This came twenty years after Kent Wildlife Trust brought the first beavers back to Britain at Ham Fen near Sandwich in 2001.

In Scotland and Devon, Wildlife Trusts pioneered licensed trial releases of beavers into the wild, backed by extensive scientific research and strong partnerships, which demonstrated the many benefits of beavers and the most effective tools for managing them. Due to the success of both trials, beavers have been allowed to remain and spread naturally in the River Otter catchment, Devon and in Knapdale, Scotland.

In July 2022, news of beaver kits was announced by Derbyshire, Cheshire and Dorset Wildlife Trusts at enclosed projects on nature reserves. There are now more than 20 wild beaver territories on the River Otter catchment, monitored by Devon Wildlife Trust. Five kits arrived in 2022 to one of the original females in the River Otter Beaver Trial. The Welsh Beaver Project, led by Wildlife Trusts Wales, saw its first kit born at an enclosure on Cors Dyfi nature reserve, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

For more information on The Wildlife Trusts beaver reintroduction projects, visit: www.wildlifetrusts.org/saving-species/beavers