Today, Thursday 29 August, The Wildlife Trusts publish A vision for the return of beavers to England and Wales making the case for bringing back this keystone species to rivers in the two countries. Beavers are known for their hugely beneficial effects on wetlands and can play an important role in flood prevention, filtering water and boosting wildlife habitat.

Three years since Defra’s beaver consultation opened and nearly two years since legislation officially recognised beavers as a native species in England, the UK Government has repeatedly failed to put in place the steps needed for their return. This includes the issuing of licences for beavers to be returned to the wild in England and the publishing of strategic plans to enable beavers to be reintroduced. Wales still lacks legislation to protect beavers and enable their effective management. Despite previous political indications that wild releases would be allowed, it has yet to happen.

The Wildlife Trusts’ new vision explains how releasing beavers into the wild – in preference to the fenced enclosures that are currently allowed – will enable beavers to rejoin our native ecology, providing beleaguered wetlands with a powerful natural restoration tool, bringing back life to our rivers and providing a host of benefits to society. 

Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“The benefits of beavers are widely acknowledged and well-evidenced – but across England and Wales, the reintroduction of this keystone species has stalled. Numerous scientific studies have shown that beavers improve water quality, stabilise water flows during times of drought and flood, and give a huge boost to habitats and to other wildlife. Given the climate and nature crises, we need beavers back in the wild to give us a hand to resolve these challenges.”

“Nature needs beavers – but at the moment these extraordinary mammals are either confined to enclosures where they cannot benefit communities, or they’ve been released illegally and there are no management plans in place to support land managers. The nations’ Governments must accept that beavers are here to stay and embrace the big positives they bring so that society can reap the rewards too.”

To support the ambition to bring back beavers to the wild, The Wildlife Trusts call on the UK and Welsh Governments to:

• Publish an ambitious beaver reintroduction strategy
• Fund farmers and land managers in the two countries to make more space for water on their land
• Support beaver management groups 
• Confirm all wild beavers can remain in England and Wales
• Recognise beavers as a native species in Wales and provide them with full legal protection.

The Wildlife Trusts are committed to working with communities and authorities to support successful wild beaver releases across England and Wales. This commitment aligns with UK Government’s target to protect 30 per cent of land for nature by 2030. The Wildlife Trusts want to work with a range of partners and stakeholders to ensure Beaver Management Groups can enable people to live in harmony alongside beavers.

Modelling work undertaken by the University of Exeter and The Wildlife Trusts will help land managers understand which areas are most suitable for beavers – this work will enable beaver groups to understand where to focus reintroduction and management efforts.

Pete Burgess, director of nature recovery at Devon Wildlife Trust, says:

“I’ve had the privilege of supporting beaver reintroduction partnerships since 2011 and witnessed first-hand the species’ unrivalled capacity to breathe life back into our rivers and wetlands. People in Devon fought hard to keep the beavers when they were first confirmed as breeding on a local river in 2014 – Devon Wildlife Trust is now at the forefront of supporting landowners, river users and communities to live alongside beavers. 

“These wonderful animals have done a lot for local tourism and businesses. Through our partnership with the University of Exeter we have revealed the host of other benefits that beavers provide – such as reducing the most damaging peak flood flows and providing steady supplies of water in times of drought. Independent studies have also shown that since the start of the River Otter Beaver Trial the number of people in favour of beaver reintroduction increased to 90 per cent.”

Professor Richard Brazier, director of the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) at the University of Exeter, says:

“The overwhelming weight of scientific evidence on the impacts of beaver reintroduction is positive. Unsurprisingly, as a keystone species that has evolved over millions of years, the beaver has adapted to create ecosystems that are resilient to droughts, floods and the wide range of ways in which humans degrade the environment. We would do well to learn from this species. Renewing our coexistence with this animal and thus enabling the beaver to modify landscapes that can again deliver multiple ecosystem services to society is an obvious and sensible thing to do.”

Jeff Sim, Head of Nature Reserves and Species Recovery at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, says:  Jeff Sim, “Reintroducing wild beavers to Staffordshire would bring huge benefits to our communities. They would bolster our natural flood management work, particularly around the River Sow to the north of Stafford which has seen flooding this year. Here beavers’ skills could help create extensive wetlands and greatly increase water storage, reducing the flow of water downstream to Stafford. There are farmers in this area with the perfect habitat who are keen and willing to have beavers released on their land, allowing it to be naturally engineered and transformed.
“The Churnet Valley is another area which could benefit from the addition of beavers, with plentiful suitable habitat for them. Whether they live within fenced or unfenced areas, we believe beavers are a critical addition to our climate adaptation work toolkit. It’s not a matter of if, but when.”