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.