Glen Affric beaver project delay shows ‘mystifying lack of backbone’ by NatureScot, says Trees For Life
A rewilding charity has accused a Scottish Government agency of a “mystifying lack of backbone” after it delayed a decision on a beaver release project in a Highland glen.
Trees for Life said the delay by NatureScot on a decision to grant a licence application for the historic official release of beavers in Glen Affric is unexpected and astonishing.
But NatureScot maintains considerable concern about the proposal remains among the local community and its representatives.
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Another government agency, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), submitted a licence application in December to release beavers into Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin.
The project would be the first official release of beavers to the northwest Highlands, four centuries since the native species was driven to extinction.
The submission of an application followed a two-year consultation involving local communities and land managers as well as Trees for Life, a partner for the project.
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life said the delay on granting a licence was astonishing following the extensive local consultation which resulted in two-thirds of people involved supporting the release of beavers in the glen.
“After two years of exhaustive consultations that far exceeded the requirements set out by NatureScot and that they have described as exemplary, one has to ask, what more is there to consult on?,” he said.
“Beavers create wetlands that benefit other wildlife, soak up carbon dioxide, purify water and reduce flooding.
“They can also bring economic benefits to communities through eco-tourism.
“NatureScot’s mystifying lack of backbone in the face of the nature and climate emergencies betrays so many people in the community who have engaged with this process in good faith and want the hope and renewal beavers would bring.”
He said the agency’s indecision flew in the face of a Scottish Government directive to its public agencies to return beavers to suitable new areas of the country, and polls showing three-quarters of Scots wanted to see public bodies delivering on that.
NatureScot should do the right thing and provide full, transparent answers to explain its inconsistent behaviour,” he said.
NatureScot said having considered the application carefully, the issue remained contentious and concerns remained among farming, crofting and fisheries interests.
Chris Donald, NatureScot’s head of operations for Central Highland, said: “We recognise the significant efforts that have been made by FLS, Trees for Life and partners to consult with local communities and stakeholders.
“It is clear, however, that there remains considerable concern about the proposal among the local community and its representatives.
“In light of this and given we are now in the beaver kit dependency period when young beavers are reliant on their parents and trapping and translocation is not appropriate, we plan to take the summer to carry out further engagement with those most likely to be affected before any licensing decision is made.”
Euan Wiseman, FLS’s north region planning manager, said the delay to the application decision was disappointing but appreciated NatureScot’s position.
“The extensive consultation process that was carried out in partnership with Trees for Life, allowed everyone in the community to have their say,” he said.
“We listened to the viewpoints of those who did and did not want to participate in the consultation process and incorporated them into our application.
“The consultation process and other inputs helped us to identify where the majority opinion lay and also helped us to develop appropriate and adequate mitigations to address the concerns raised by those who were not in favour of beaver reintroductions.”
