Chamber and committees

The 2021-22 total operating budget allocation for beaver advice and mitigation is £91,000. This excludes staff costs (currently one full-time member of staff at £35,000 but due to increase to two full-time staff members).

NatureScot published a summary of beaver management licences issued in 2019 in May 2020: https://www.nature.scot/naturescot-beaver-licensing-summary-1st-may-31st-december-2019

NatureScot will publish a further report covering the period 1 January to 31 December 2020 later this year, once they have completed the final checks on licence returns and a full data analysis.

The report will include details of the number of dams removed, the number of beavers killed, trapped and translocated under licence in 2020, alongside details of other mitigation works. It will include an assessment against the results of a beaver population survey carried out over the winter of 2020-21 and due to report in July 2021.

Together, this package of information will include analysis of data and provide comprehensive details of the range of actions under the beaver management framework along with recommendations for future management.

COVID restrictions have limited some of NatureScot’s operational activities, including the ability to undertake site visits throughout 2020.

NatureScot has not carried out spot-checks on beaver licence compliance in 2020, but maintains contact with those in receipt of licences.

NatureScot is currently considering how routine site visits could be carried out in the future.

Compliance checks are made as part of checking licence returns.

(a) Discrepancies were identified in 3 licence returns from 2019 and have been followed up.

(b) 1 licence was revoked pending a site visit

Three licence holders failed to submit returns in 2020 and are currently being dealt with by NatureScot in accordance with the compliance process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-35895 on 19 March 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

A total of 24 licences were issued in 2020. Accounting for amendments, this equates to 21 separate licences broken down as follows:

• 2 were for photography (site visit not applicable)
• 1 was for mitigation and trapping for translocation (site visit not applicable)
• 4 were for public safety / public infrastructure (all had site visits)
• 2 were for mitigation works (both visited)
• 1 was for forestry (not visited)
• 11 were for agricultural damage (7 were visited, 1 of which was subsequently revoked pending a site visit).

Of the above, 9 permitted the licensed culling of beavers. The other 12 licences permitted non-lethal interventions.

*A new licence number is generated for every licence issued; this includes where amendments are made or licences renewed.

No flood mitigation trials have deployed beavers translocated under licence from NatureScot in Scotland in 2020.

NatureScot supports an adaptive management approach to wildlife management and, in consultation with stakeholders through the Scottish Beaver Forum, keeps the Beaver Management Framework under constant review through application of their processes and guidance.

(a) When beavers became a European Protected Species in May 2019, NatureScot undertook to conduct a review of licensing after two years of operation. This review is underway, with the input from the Scottish Beaver Forum. In addition, the trialling of innovative mitigation measures and discussion on future rural support payments is intended to reduce the need for lethal control in the future.

(b) Work is ongoing to reduce the need for lethal control and NatureScot have announced that they would be open to applications under the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations for the movement of beavers from conflict areas to other suitable locations within or on the edge of range of their existing their current range.

We are discussing with NatureScot the circumstances, including the experience with beaver management, which might allow the policy on translocation of beavers to include release sites outside their current range in Scotland.

NatureScot operates a beaver advice and mitigation scheme for land managers experiencing significant detrimental impacts from beavers.

The operating budget for this in the financial year 2020-21 was £91,000. However, due to the impact of the Covid pandemic the progress of some key projects has been delayed and the actual spend is therefore likely to be approximately £40,000.

NatureScot did not issue or refuse any applications relating to the removal of beaver dams to prevent restriction of fish passage in 2020.

 refer the member to the answer to question S5W-35895 on 19 March 2021 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .