Íæż½ã½ã must be allowed to use lethal control should beaver populations become disruptive, the NFU has said
Fears farmland could be put at risk have been raised following the Government's decision to return beavers to England's waterways.
The warning comes following an announcement by Defra today (February 28) that ‘wild releases' of colonies of Eurasian beaver will take place across the country. The Government has described the move as a ‘major boost for conservation'.
Beaver release
According to the Government, the return of beavers will be carefully managed to avoid impacts on farming, food production and infrastructure. New wild release schemes will need to have a project plan in place covering a 10-year period to support the introduction of beavers into a landscape before Natural England would consider granting a licence.
READ NOW: Balancing nature-friendly farming with productivity in the High Weald AONB
Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, said: "Beavers have been missing from our landscapes for about 400 years and this careful approach for their planned return is a significant landmark for nature recovery in England.
"Beavers are environmental engineers. The dams, ponds and canals they build not only create amazingly rich habitats for many other species, but can also help reduce flood risk, purify water and catch carbon.
Environmental benefits
"Under licence from Natural England, the release of wild beavers will be managed to secure the long-term environmental benefits while seeking to minimise and avoid unwanted impacts."
HAVE YOUR SAY:
However, NFU deputy president David Exwood said while the union recognised that in the right location, beavers could provide certain benefits, there were concerns regarding the risk to productive farmland.
"Beavers can flood and waterlog fields, feed on agricultural crops like maize, as well as damage and fell trees such as cricket bat willow."
Mr Exwood has called on the Government to develop a longer term plan for the reintroduction of beavers before the any further wild releases are considered and has demanded farmers must be allowed to carry out ‘lethal control' if necessary.
"With existing legal and illegal populations of beavers expanding across England, the Government must put in place a longer-term vision and management plan for beavers," he said. "This must include the ability for those involved in beaver management to use all available tools in the toolbox, including lethal control, if beavers become disruptive.
Agricultural impact assessment
"There must also be strict criteria in place for wild release projects, including an agricultural impact assessment and consultation with the farming community," he added.
Countryside Alliance chief executive, Tim Bonner said: "The potential negative economic and environmental impacts of every proposed release needs to be considered.
"Most importantly, management needs to be an accessible option if and when populations grow and the impact of beavers cannot be mitigated in other ways. We cannot simply reintroduce beavers with no natural predators and no backstop."
LISTEN NOW:
