Booming beaver population sparks farmer concerns

NFU Scotland has expressed alarm over a new report which projects the beaver population in Scotland will soar to 10,000 by the end of the decade.

The union insists the Scottish government must set aside a standalone mitigation scheme that is accessible to all, to enable farmers and landowners to prevent damage to productive farmland.

See also: Farming’s voice matters when it comes to beaver releases

In addition, the Holyrood government must set up a fully funded scheme to support farmers who have been adversely affected by beaver damage, says the union.

“We believe in sensitively managing wildlife to benefit and improve our biodiversity in balance with our need to produce food and keep the nation fed,” said NFUS president Martin Kennedy.

“Beavers in the wrong areas are proven to cause significant and costly agricultural damage, so where mitigation and trapping measures fail, dam removal and lethal control must remain an option to prevent serious damage before it occurs.”

Projections

The projections are contained in a NatureScot report on beaver management, which shows the population in Scotland is expanding rapidly, with an estimated 424 territories, or more than 1,500 beavers. If this trajectory continues, there will be 10,000 beavers in Scotland by 2030.

A total of 63 beavers were culled under licence in Scotland last year, down from 87 in 2021. In addition, dams were removed under licence.

Lorna Slater, Scottish government biodiversity minister, said: “Beavers help re-engineer and restore rivers and can create wetlands. 

“Their introduction is a vital part of our wider commitment to protect and restore Scotland’s natural environment.”