Despite the myriad of benefits provided by the species, beaver reintroductions into certain areas can be met with a certain level of resistance. There are, at times, concerns from farmers, landowners, and fishermen about the impact that beavers will have on their livelihoods. Some of these concerns are quite valid, but if they are addressed with the proper mitigation strategies, they don’t need to be an issue.
Most efforts across the UK are still operating in their infancy, but in Bavaria, beavers were reintroduced in the 1960s and are causing impacts on a large scale. In ‘Living with Beavers’ by Nina Constable, they looked to the trials in Bavaria to see what impacts beavers are capable of, and how humans were able to manage the negative impacts. When beavers were first introduced to the area, the benefits of their presence quickly became clear as biodiversity flourished with more insects, fish, and amphibians recorded, even sightings of the rare black stork.
However, as the population grew, they started to move out of the rivers and into agricultural areas. They inflicted some minor damage to fields by eating crops and flooding small areas, as well as creating burrows that damaged farm machinery. Due to this, there began to be more resistance against the beaver populations, and in 1996, management strategies were implemented to address these concerns.
Farmers are now able to receive compensation for any damage and beavers can be caught or controlled if they’re in the wrong location. They also have ‘set-asides’ in creeks in multiple locations, an area of 5-10 meters to the right and left of the creek that is available for beavers and nature to work. There is also a network of volunteer beaver consultants that provide free mitigation advice to people who live near beavers or have beavers on their land.
We can learn from many of these projects and implement management strategies from the beginning. It’s important for us to listen to and address people’s concerns, so communities can support these necessary initiatives. The problems can be addressed and overcome, but the benefits of beavers can’t be imitated. Some of the management options that we have available to address conflicts include:
- Flow devices, involve putting a pipe-like device through the dam to allow the regulation of the water level behind it.
- Protecting trees by either putting a mesh guard around the tree or paint a special paint substance that beavers don’t like.
- Safe and humane relocation only when absolutely necessary.
Another key area of concern is how beaver reintroductions may impact fish populations, with many worrying about the consequences of beaver dams creating barriers for migrating fish such as salmon and trout. However, these concerns are typically misplaced. For example, 70 per cent of the world’s Atlantic salmon spawn in Norway, and of their top 10 salmon fivers, seven of them have beavers. Beavers do change the landscape considerably, so they can have an impact on fish populations. However, according to this independent review of the interaction between beaver activity and freshwater fisheries found that benefits were cited more frequently than negative effects, and the majority of experts consider beavers to have an overall positive impact on fish populations.
Beavers have an amazing ability to modify their environments for the better and bring life back to the areas in which they live. Allowing the widespread return of beavers is an important step in repairing some of the damage humans have done to their natural world. They have the potential to provide a natural and cost-effective solution to the serious issues of pollution, flooding, and species loss. Because beavers are so unique as ecosystem engineers, this isn’t just about the reintroduction of beavers to areas such as the UK, but the reintroduction of the entire ecosystem. By boosting biodiversity, reducing the impact of floods and droughts, and creating spaces for nature to return. Beavers could be an essential ally in our fight against the climate crisis.
So before you plan to trap or euthanize these creatures, please consider the countless benefits they provide.
