Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is extremely concerned after legal protections for beavers – due to be laid in parliament on 19 July – were pulled at the eleventh hour. The decision puts in jeopardy ambitions to see wild beavers return to England, and will have damaging impacts for nature, climate, and communities. 

Beavers are key to creating thriving wetland ecosystems – which are critical for climate adaptation –and provide a wealth of benefits for nature and people.  A change in legal status would 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 was scheduled to come into force on 1st October. 

Natural England is also 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. 

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is extremely concerned that protections could be abandoned for “nature’s engineers”. The charity also calls for flexible and practical management guidance and – crucially – incentives for landowners to make space for beavers on their land. 

Ali Morse, water policy manager for The Wildlife Trusts, says:  

“Clarity around legal protections for beavers are crucial if populations are to recover and thrive long term – it is extremely disappointing that this legislation has been brought to a juddering holt, with no explanation why. We need to see the widespread return of wild beavers to create vital wetland habitats and restore rivers, many of which have been damaged by centuries of dredging and being cut off from floodplains. As England grapples with a nature and climate emergency, we need our beavers back.” 

“Government’s approach to beavers must be ambitious. The licensing guidance should be sensible and pragmatic, supporting landowners, wildlife organisations, communities, and licensing bodies to work together in re-establishing beavers in appropriate locations and providing a much-needed boost to nature.” 

The Wildlife Trusts are calling on the Government to:

• Support ambitious and carefully targeted reintroduction projects 

• Reward landowners who make space for wetlands created by beavers 

• Adopt management systems that protect beavers and resolve problems 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.  

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reintroduced beavers to Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve in September 2021, bringing the species back to Derbyshire for the first time in 800 years. Earlier this month, news of beaver kits being born was announced which will play a big part in making Derbyshire wilder, helping to manage the landscape within the Trent Valley.    

For more information on Derbyshire Beaver reintroduction, visit https://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/about/projects/all-about-beavers.