Some of you might be interested in this.   Complacent.  Misguided, Optimistic?????


THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS IN WALES’ BEAVER POSITION STATEMENT
July 2017
The Wildlife Trusts in Wales are at the forefront of reintroducing the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber to Wales. Given the right conditions, we think the return of this native mammal can be of overall benefit to river and wetland wildlife, and will be a valuable tool in contributing to the sustainable management of extensive wetland ecosystems. We consider the presence of beavers to have potential social benefits in terms of stimulation of tourism and related economic activities, as well as educational, art and cultural opportunities.
The conservation management of wetland habitat in Wales requires considerable resources and commitment from many organisations and landowners, including the Wildlife Trusts. As a result of continuing public spending cuts and increasing competition for funding for non-governmental conservation organisations there are real and growing threats to our ability to manage river and wetland habitats for wildlife and people. Flood events resulting from climate change will also become increasingly common in the future and adequate funding to prevent their impacts might not be available. Rural economies are under increasing pressure and actions that increase tourism opportunities that boost employment and enable job diversification can be a significant element in reversing this decline. Reintroduction of Eurasian beavers offers a cost-effective and natural solution to help address all these serious problems.
Construction of beaver dams on watercourses can help to restore natural processes, benefiting the sustainable management of watercourses and water quality through an increase in standing open water and sediment trapping and an increase in habitat heterogeneity1. In arable landscapes, beaver dams in certain circumstances would reduce downstream migration of diffuse pollution sources from surrounding land uses2. The presence of beavers can also improve water quality and help ameliorate flooding3,4,5,6, as well as providing opportunities to increase recreation and tourism services7.
The Eurasian beaver was formally native across much of Europe but became extinct from Wales around the middle ages due to human persecution. Studies into the feasibility and desirability of reintroducing beavers into Wales4,5,8 concluded that there is abundant habitat suitable for beavers in Wales and that a reintroduction is ecologically feasible and desirable with many catchments in Wales having been identified as suitable for beaver releases.
1 Gurnell, A (1997). Analysis of the effects of beaver dam-building activities on local hydrology. SNH Review 85, Battleby.
2 Lamsodis, R & Ulvicius, A. Impact of beavers on migration of nitrogen and phosphorus via drainage ditches in agrolandscapes, Lithuania. 6th International Beaver Symposium.
3 Parker, M. (1986) Beaver, water quality and riparian systems. Proceedings of the Wyoming Water and Streamside Zone Conference. Wyoming Water Research Centre, University of Wyoming, Laramie, 1, 88–94.
4 Halley, D.J. et al (2009). The reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) to Wales: an ecological feasibility study.
5 Jones A.C.L. et al (2012). Welsh Beaver Assessment Initiative Report: An investigation into the feasibility of reintroducing European Beaver (Castor fiber) to Wales. Wildlife Trusts Wales, UK.
6 Puttock, A., Graham, H.A., Cunliffe, A.M., Elliott, M., Brazier, R.E. (2017). Eurasian beaver activity increases water storage, attenuates flow and mitigates diffuse pollution from intensively managed grasslands. Science of the Total Environment. 576: 430-443.
7 Campbell RD, Dutton A& Hughes J. 2007. Economic impacts of the beaver. Report for the Wild Britain Initiative. 28 pages.
8 Gow, D. (2013) An overview of a site scoping process for the assessment of potential European beaver release sites in Wales 2012/2013.
In Europe there have been at least 200 reintroductions into the wild, the impacts of which have been well monitored. Beavers are widely thought to have a generally positive impact on hydrology, biodiversity, water quality and water resource management and can profoundly modify riparian and wetland habitats9,10.
Some negative impacts can occur as a result of beaver activity, such as unwanted felling of trees, interference with human infrastructure, localised flooding and other detrimental impacts so the deliberate reintroduction of beavers within a catchment requires careful consideration. This would normally include engagement with key stakeholders, such as landholders, statutory agencies and local communities.
The Wildlife Trusts in Wales recommend that in order to minimise the detrimental impacts whilst maximising the positive impacts of beavers, a Beaver Management Strategy is drawn up, utilising proven good practice from other countries with a strong emphasis on non-lethal control. The Wildlife Trusts in Wales recognise that there are concerns regarding the potential damaging effects that reintroducing beavers will have on some land and fisheries management practices and environments in Wales, which in turn could result in additional costs for landowners or other agencies. We accept that beavers can, on occasion, cause conflicts with human land uses because of the beavers’ felling, burrowing and damming behaviour, but we believe that the benefits they bring to the sustainable management of natural resources significantly outweighs their costs. Experience from Europe and North America shows that it is possible to successfully manage beaver impacts, providing that resources are made available to assist with mitigating beaver-human conflicts.
For more information on beavers and their reintroduction in Wales by the Wildlife Trusts, contact Alicia Leow-Dyke alicia@rwtwales.org
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