FARMERS OPPOSE BRINGING BEAVERS BACK TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Plans to reintroduce the Eurasian beaver to the Isle of Wight have been criticised by concerned members of the farming community.

All households across the Island have received a survey to see whether locals support the reintroduction of beavers on the Island.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has appointed a Beaver Recovery Officer to advance their plans to release beavers into the catchment area of the Eastern Yar.

Article continues below this advertisement

The trust believes that beaver ponds can provide excellent spawning grounds for fish such as trout and amphibians such as newts and that beavers can help rural economies by attracting wildlife watchers and eco-tourists. The trust also says that beaver dams can hold back water during heavy rain, minimising the risks of flash flooding.

Izzie Tween, Beaver Recovery Project Officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, says:

“Beavers are ecosystem engineers, transforming habitats and creating wetlands that benefit wildlife and people. We think beavers are so brilliant that we hope to release them here on the Isle of Wight.”

However, not everyone from the farming community agrees with the positive assessment of the impact of beavers on the Isle of Wight economy and ecosystem.

Mark Coventry owns Lower Luton farm near Northwood. Mark describes himself as an environmentally conscious farmer and is also a qualified zoologist. Mark says:

Article continues below this advertisement

“People think of beavers as nice little cuddly critters. But they are big animals, over 30 kilograms in weight. They have no natural predators on the Island. Foxes won’t predate them because they are too big.

“So much the beaver group is saying is just not true. The last record of beaver in the UK was 500 years ago. There is no record of beavers on the Isle of Wight. Beavers are being ‘introduced’ not ‘reintroduced’.

“Beavers will not limit flooding as heavy rain will destroy their dams. They will kill oak trees, which won’t survive having their roots flooded. Tourists won’t be able to come to beaver ponds because of the dangers of falling trees.”

Caroline Knox of Marvel Farms in the Arreton Valley is on the environmental forum of the NFU (National Farmers’ Union). She says:

“I’m very interested in wildlife, and I’ve been to Scotland where beavers have been introduced. I’ve seen what beavers have done there both in wilder areas and the farming environment.

“The Wildlife Trust claim they can control any beavers released. But beavers are elusive and hard to find. They won’t stay on the Eastern Yar.

“Arable land is very important. Everyone has to eat. My concern is that if beavers dam water ditches, the land will not drain and become useless for agriculture.

“I’m a nature lover. But on such a busy island, I’d be concerned that beavers will come into conflict with land use, people, dogs and traffic.

“Although not all farmers are opposed to beaver reintroduction, land use has changed since humans last lived with beavers in the UK, and there are valid concerns that need to be addressed.”

Isle of Wight NFU chair Robyn Munt from Parkwater Farm Newport said:

“When it comes to the reintroduction of a species, particularly to an area the size of the Island, careful consideration must be given to any impacts arising from reintroduction so that farmers can continue to manage land and produce our food. We are closely liaising with HIWWT and have raised our concerns about the long term management and controls that will be required if this species is reintroduced here.

“Whilst we acknowledge the benefits that beavers could bring, in terms of habitat creation and water management, we have concerns about the saturation of grazing land and the flooding of productive and low lying fields of the fertile Arreton Valley, (surrounding the immediate release area), and beyond. Farmers and landowners also have concerns about damage to trees, crops and infrastructure from burrowing – these concerns must be addressed first before any licence is granted.

“We have spoken to farmers in Scotland where they have been grappling with issues around beavers for more than 15 years and are still struggling to find adequate ways to manage them. Therefore, we are concerned about where responsibility would lie in the future for their management, in the event that a licence is granted for beaver reintroduction, and, eventually, a wild beaver population expands throughout the Island’s river and stream network.”

For further information about the beaver recovery project contact [email protected].