The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust celebrates new law that protects beavers

The good news for beavers was introduced on October 1 and will ensure that the mammal is protected by making it an offence to purposefully capture, kill or harm the animal.

The animal is critical to maintaining a thriving wetland ecosystem and the trust is celebrating this victory that protects the native mammal.

Izzie Tween, beaver recovery project officer at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: ‘We’re delighted that beavers have received European native species protected status.

‘This new legislation gives the beavers already thriving in England recognition as native animals, a status they have held in Scotland since 2019, and will bring their level of protection in England into line with those north of the border.

‘While any unwelcome beaver activity can still be managed under Natural England licensing, this protection will help our small and vulnerable population of this industrious ecosystem engineer to establish and create wetlands to help boost biodiversity and deliver ecosystem services for local communities.’

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Trust has also been hoping to be allowed to release beavers onto the Isle of Wight as part of its vision to help the island’s nature recover.

The trust launched a public consultation that was distributed across the Isle of Wight in February, and saw 4,883 people complete the consultation, with 89 per cent of them saying they feel positively about the release.

The trust is planning on submitting an application to Natural England to obtain a licence which will enable it to release the animals.

Natural England are currently not taking applications whilst it works alongside DEFRA to confirm a national beaver strategy, but the trust hopes that beavers will be released on the island by 2024.

If beavers are released onto the Isle of Wight, they will be released into the Eastern Yar and the trust believes that they will benefit everyone as they will filter out pollution to create cleaner water, create habitats for other species including otters and reduce downstream flooding.