Eurasian beavers were once widespread across England but became nationally extinct due to overhunting.
The Labour Government has announced today a commitment to the reintroduction of beavers back into the wild. This is a good decision. A licensing scheme will allow more areas to benefit from beaver reintroduction whilst giving farmers greater control over the management of their land.
These environmental engineers can bring many benefits including boosting biodiversity, creating and restoring wetland habitats, and reducing downstream flooding. Their positive effect on water ecosystems can bring benefits for a variety of species, supporting delivery of the government’s statutory species abundance and extinction targets. Their reintroduction is good news for nature.