Nature’s Climate Campaigners:
England’s Beavers Win Landmark Legal Battle

By Ellen Salter
August 2020

photo-1586439587092-bfe492d1b784.jpg

2014 marked a historic year for British wildlife. For the first time in England, conclusive evidence emerged showing three beavers – two adults and one juvenile – living on the River Otter, near Ottery St Mary in Devon. The family marked a momentous find – proof of the England’s first wild breeding population for more than 400 years.

Sadly, their presence was not a cause for celebration for all. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) for instance, opposed the reintroduction stating that their presence “could have a negative impact on the surrounding environment and wildlife”. Local farmers also joined the fight and opposed the beaver population due to perceived risk of disease and damage. Worse still, upon hearing of their residence, the government planned to have them immediately removed from the river.

However, the Devon Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Earth, and the University of Exeter campaigned against their removal. The Devon Wildlife Trust recommended a five-year study to monitor their effect on the environment before a decision was made. Although not finishing until the 31st August 2020 (in two-weeks time), the study has presented clear evidence of improvements to fish biomass, water quality, flood mitigation, and local landscaping to deliver climate change resilience. Remarkably, the beavers have contributed so significantly to flood alleviation that the Clyst William Cross Country Wildlife Site in West Honiton has moved from a red alert to an amber alert for declining environmental conditions since the reintroduction of the beavers. The presence of otters may also add social value and local economic improvements through tourism.

Owing to the findings of the study, the government has now confirmed that the beavers will be allowed to remain indefinitely.  Devon Wildlife Trust’s director of conservation. Peter Burgess, said Defra’s support represented “the most ground-breaking government decision for England’s wildlife for a generation”.

Adopting a climate justice lens, however, means that decisions made about the natural environment should be “inclusive, fair and just for all”. To ensure a balance in benefits and burdens for landowners and the beaver population, Defra is developing a strategy to consider the potential impacts and will be hosting government consultation on the national approach and management at the end of this year. The government said it “is committed to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species, such as beavers, where there are clear benefits, as part of wider efforts to leave the environment in a better state for generations to come”. In line with this approach, Natural England has stated that no further licensing will be granted for further releases of beavers into the wild until consultation is complete.

photo-1586439587716-1cc4c88ce130.jpg

Today, there are now more than 50 adults and kits (comprising 15 families) living harmoniously on the river with the right to remain. In the UK, there are now more than 400 geographically dispersed including in Scotland, North Yorkshire, Somerset, Wales, and Essex. But, unlike the Devonshire beavers, their future is less secure. In Scotland, beavers gained legal protected status in 2019. However, farming leaders have increasingly raised concerns about the dams flooding valuable agricultural land to the extent that, in the same year as the legal protection status, Scottish Natural Heritage granted licences to cull around a fifth of the beaver population.

Whilst the perception of beavers varies geographically, a YouGov poll (in January 2020) demonstrated overwhelming support for reintroducing beavers into the UK – at 76% favourable responses. Clearly, beavers bring multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits to the natural environment and help with climate change resilience and adaptation. But, an equitable future for all means that all stakeholders should be considered. The government, wildlife trusts, and local stakeholders should work together to consider the implications for the beaver population and develop a holistic management plan towards their reintroduction. After all, it takes more than one beaver to build a dam (the other beavers being humans).

You too can support by signing the Wildlife Trust: Support National Beaver Strategy Campaign.

Return to People and Planet.