Boost for Knapdale Beavers

The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the lead partners of the successful Scottish Beaver Trial, have been granted a species licence to reinforce the population of Eurasian beavers in Knapdale Forest, mid-Argyll.

Up to 28 beavers will be released into lochans on land managed by Forest Enterprise Scotland at Knapdale over the next three years. The idea behind the project is to give the small Knapdale beaver population the best possible chance of thriving in the long-term and to increase the genetic diversity of the population. 

The beavers will be sourced from a variety of locations. All beavers will be screened to ensure that they are healthy and free from disease before their release into the wild.

The reinforcement will be carried out by Scottish Beavers, a new partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust and RZSS created to continue the work of the Scottish Beaver Trial, under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage.

Sarah Robinson, Head of Conservation Programmes and Science for RZSS, said: “We are delighted that Scottish Natural Heritage have granted us a licence to continue the important work that we started with the Scottish Beaver Trial.

“A deliberately small number of Norwegian beavers were introduced to Knapdale in 2009 to ensure we were able to monitor their progress at close quarters. These beavers were limited in both genetic range and overall number, and without urgent action the population is at risk of further decline.

“Now that it has been decided that they can stay, we have a duty to reinforce the population and ensure that they have a chance to make their homes in the wider area. By introducing beavers from a range of sources, we aim to increase their genetic diversity and give them the best possible chance of thriving in the long-term.”

Susan Davies, Director of Conservation at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “Reinforcing the population at Knapdale is an exciting step forward for the future of beavers in Scotland. We’re thankful to Forest Enterprise Scotland for hosting the Scottish Beaver Trial, and for their continued assistance with monitoring the population in mid-Argyll.

Beavers are natural engineers with a unique ability to create new wetland habitats. They can benefit wildlife including otters, water voles, and dragonflies, and long-term research in Tayside has shown how their presence has revitalised previously drained land by doubling the range of plant species.

“The ponds and pools created behind beaver dams can also help improve water quality and regulate flooding, and their return to Scotland has great potential to boost our growing wildlife tourism industry.”

Beavers were first introduced to Knapdale Forest in April 2009 through the Scottish Beaver Trial. In November 2016 the Scottish Government announced that beavers were allowed to remain and naturally expand from Knapdale and Tayside. This marked the first successful reintroduction of any wild mammal to the UK.

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Created: 03 October 2017

Take action to protect European nature laws

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is calling on the public to take action and help prevent European nature laws from being weakened. 

Across Europe, including here in Scotland, vital laws protect our most precious wildlife and wild places. The conservation of Scotland’s most iconic species such as golden eagle, Atlantic salmon, dolphin and Scottish wildcat depend on these laws and we do too, for cleaner rivers, vital habitat for pollinating insects and natural places that we can enjoy and spend time in.

Without these European laws to protect the rarest and best of nature, Scotland and the World would be a poorer place.

Right now the European Commission  is reviewing these laws - the 'Nature Directives' - and asking people to give their opinion on them. So it's vital that as many of us as possible say that we feel strongly about this and don't want to see these laws weakened.

Across Europe all countries share two main nature laws - the Habitats Directive, which protects a range of important habitats and species, and the Birds Directive, which protects European wild birds. There is also a network of protected wild places - called Natura 2000 - stretching across Europe.

In Scotland, over 390 places are part of this network including Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserves such as Handa Island, Montrose Basin, Rahoy Hills, Carstramon Wood, and Loch Fleet and other special places such as the Firth of Forth, Caithness and Sutherland peatlands, Black Wood of Rannoch, River Tay and Moray Firth.

The Natura 2000 Network, in Scotland and across Europe needs all the protection it can get.

How you can help

The European Commission is asking for the opinion of people across Europe through an online consultation - so you can make your voice heard.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust, as part of The Wildlife Trusts is joining 100 other charities and environmental organisations across Europe to provide suggested responses to the consultation in support of the Nature Directives.

This will send a clear message to the European Commission that people feel strongly about this, wherever they live.

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Created: 12 May 2015

Beaver report submitted

The final ‘Beavers in Scotland’ report from the beaver reintroduction project has now been submitted to Scottish Ministers. The report draws on 20 years of work on beavers, including information from the Scottish Beaver Trial, the Tayside Beaver Study Group, the Beaver-Salmonid Working Group, other projects organised by SNH and a range of international studies.

SNH has also published a further nine Commissioned Reports on beavers, including the SBT final reports for the hydrology and fish monitoring, and an interim woodland monitoring report. SEPA’s water chemistry monitoring final report for the SBT has also been published.

You can download the ‘Beavers in Scotland’ report, and all the other new and older beaver outputs, by going to this website:
www.snh.gov.uk/beavers-in-scotland

There is also a press release here:
http://snh.presscentre.com/News-Releases/Report-on-beavers-in-Scotland-goes-to-Minister-1c2.aspx

We will all now await a decision by Ministers on the future of beavers in Scotland.

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Created: 15 June 2015