|
Land and freshwater fishery managers have become increasingly concerned following the announcement of a licensed trial to introduce European Beavers to Knapdale in Argyll. Their concern arises around the widespread interpretation by those who campaign for Beaver introductions to Britain that this licence heralds the return of Beavers to the British countryside; alongside which there have been repeated and consistent claims that Beavers will only be good, especially for biodiversity, and that there will be no adverse effects. This is despite the acknowledged fact that Beavers make profound changes to the ecosystems in which they live by making dams in watercourses; indeed this is a much cited benefit.
 |
The simplistic arguments that are presented to support the introduction of Beavers ignore widespread evidence that Beavers cause considerable damage both to the rivers and streams that they dam and also to the surrounding land. Much of this evidence is anecdotal but more is recorded in the scientific literature. Normally, when any major change to the English, Welsh or Scottish countryside is proposed, government agencies and others rightly demand appropriate assessments of the likely effects with particular reference to the literature, particularly where rivers or land under conservation designations such as SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) or SAC (Special Area of Conservation) are involved. With Beaver introduction this process has been ignored; either no appropriate assessment has been made or none has been made public. This leaves a suspicion to many that the evidence may in fact be disadvantageous to the proposed introductions and that it is being suppressed. Land Managers are concerned that the changes to ecosystems that would be caused by the introduction of Beavers, which have been absent from Britain for many hundreds of years, would not be compatible with twenty-first century land use and is being proposed by those who have no responsibility for the country.
In December 2007 the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards formally asked the Scottish Wildlife Trust, to whom the Knapdale licence for the introduction has been granted, for a number of issues to be addressed so that an informed position could be arrived at before a trial was commenced. To date no response has been received. The unanswered questions that were drawn up are given here.
In the absence of any response to the questions posed, the Foundation has researched the scientific literature. The results are presented as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Find out for yourself more about the work and costs that will be created by having Beavers in the wild in Scotland by using you search engine and doing web searches:
“Beaver fish passage”
“Beaver culverts”
“Beaver embankment” (Beavers can even derail trains !)
January 2009
|
