Beaver reintroduction could be a flagship nature and climate policy – Inside track

This post is by Jess Chapell and Emily Bowen from the Beaver Trust.

As we face increasing challenges related to climate change, such as record breaking heatwaves, droughts and flooding, the role of beavers as ecosystem engineers has never been more critical.

After an absence from Britain of over 400 years, governments in Scotland, England and Wales are all at different stages of their journeys to restore beavers back to our waterways. The new government in Westminster has responsibility for environmental matters in England, so all eyes are now on it as we wait to hear what the plans are for the future of this important species.

Releasing beavers can build resilienceRelease of beavers in England is currently restricted to licensed enclosures, as opposed to across the border in Scotland where wild release of beavers has been permitted within the Tay catchment since 2019, then into areas where they weren’t already present since 2021. Reintroducing these ecosystem engineers to our landscapes could prove an important resilience building move in tackling the nature and climate emergency, presenting the government with an exciting opportunity.

The return of beavers to England’s waterways is a goal that many conservationists, landowners and the public alike support. In fact, a 2021 consultation by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) found that 69 per cent of respondents were in favour of the proposed approach to releasing beavers into the wild. Nonetheless, realising their full potential to aid nature’s recovery and for climate adaptation requires careful planning and a robust regulatory framework.

Unlicensed releases could continue without clear policy
The inclusion of nature’s recovery among Defra’s five core priorities, as outlined by Steve Reed, the new secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, is a positive signal. Scientific consensus is growing on the benefits of beaver reintroduction, not just for wildlife but for society as a whole, as restoring them to England will help achieve the country’s legally binding target to halt species decline by 2030.

However, the path forward is not without challenges. In the absence of a legal route to releasing beavers into the wild, we have seen a number of unlicensed releases over recent years. While these are often driven by good intentions, they risk alienating key stakeholders, jeopardising animal welfare and undermining the success of future licensed releases. This issue extends beyond conservation, potentially affecting the agriculture, transport and utilities sectors.

A national strategy is neededRe-establishing beavers into the wild in England is a flagship environment policy that the new Labour government could easily deliver in its first 100 days. It would clearly demonstrate commitment to tackling the nature and climate crisis. A licensing framework allowing wild release into appropriate river catchments in England has been drafted by Natural England in collaboration with stakeholders and is now simply awaiting ministerial approval. This must be accompanied by a national strategy to ensure beaver reintroductions are carried out strategically at a national scale, with cross border consistency and co-operation across Britain.

Given that England is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with 90 per cent of its wetlands lost in the last 100 years, the urgency of restoring these vital habitats cannot be overstated. Beavers, with their unique ability to revive and maintain wetlands, are a key part of the solution.

By approving the draft wild release licensing framework and developing a national beaver strategy, the government can lead the way in restoring biodiversity, building greater resilience into our landscapes and make a meaningful step towards a sustainable future for both wildlife and people.