UK Government To Allow Wild Beaver Releases For Nature Recovery

The UK government has announced it will allow beaver releases into the wild in England.

Nature groups will finally be allowed to release beavers into English waterways after years of rewilding advocacy and debate. According to the Guardian, it’s believed that Downing Street initially blocked beaver release plans because Labour government officials viewed it as a legacy of the previous Tory government that would “needlessly upset farmers.”

The Department for Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Natural England published a roadmap today that includes a detailed plan for licensing and long-term population management, including for already established beaver colonies.

“The beaver’s ability to transform and revitalize our degraded landscape is extraordinary,” said Stuart Otway, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Complex Cases Unit, and Delphine Pouget, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team.

“Natural England believes that their successful reintroduction will play a vital part in restoring rivers and wetlands, addressing the nature crisis, and contributing to the delivery of national biodiversity targets including the creation of wildlife-rich habitats,” they added.

Wild beavers will bring a ‘wealth of ecological benefits’ to England

Photo shows a large beaver dam in a body of water surrounded by lush greenery — Adobe Stock Beavers are a keystone species, which means they are essential parts of their ecosystem

Beavers are large, semi-aquatic rodents. They were hunted to extinction nearly half a century ago, but 20 years of carefully licensed beaver releases into enclosures, several escapees, and some illegal rewilding created today’s thriving current population of around 400 animals.

Beavers are a keystone species, meaning they help to define their entire ecosystem, and their presence is extremely beneficial for the environment. The 30 families who now live in Somerset’s River Otter – previously the only licensed population in the country – have had a measurable positive impact on their home in the years since the trial began.

Research published by the University of Exeter in 2024 found that beaver-made wetlands promote other wildlife like kingfishers and otters. They also alleviate the impact of flooding and drought, with Devon’s four wild beaver territories storing over 24 million liters of water.

According to the Wildlife Trusts, beavers also clean their water and reduce siltation, something that England’s polluted, frequently lifeless rivers desperately need. Beaver wetlands also sequester carbon, another much-needed ecosystem service.

“After centuries of absence, beavers are beginning to reclaim their rightful place in the English landscape,” said Otway and Pouget. “These industrious mammals, once hunted to extinction, are now being returned to our rivers and wetlands, bringing with them a wealth of ecological benefits.”