Drop-in to discuss next steps for beavers

People are being invited to a public drop-in session in Ottery St Mary to hear what the next steps will be for the town's local wild beavers.  The drop-in is being held on Friday 6 February between 3pm and 7.30pm at The Institute, Ottery St Mary, East Devon. The organisers are keen to stress that everyone is welcome. A small population of beavers is living on the River Otter close to the East Devon town of Ottery St Mary. The animals recently made national news headlines when Natural England decided to grant Devon Wildlife Trust with a licence which would allow the animals to live on the river while the charity monitored their impacts on the local community, landscape and economy. The River Otter Beaver Trial, as it is known, will last for the next five years. Representatives from Natural England will be at the drop-in session to discuss the temporary removal of the beavers which is being planned to ensure that they are healthy. Devon Wildlife Trust staff will also be on hand to discuss how the River Otter Beaver Trial will work over the coming years.
Devon Wildlife Trust's Peter Burgess said: 'It is very good news that we have been granted a licence to release the beavers back on the river once they have been proven to be healthy. Natural England and Devon Wildlife Trust are hosting this meeting to answer any questions the local community may have about the next steps of the project.'
The Institute can be found in Ottery Street, Ottery St Mary, Devon, EX11 1HD. Parking at the Institute is very limited, but there are public car parks nearby.
Devon Wildlife Trust

Government cuts back on ambitions for marine protection

The long-awaited consultation on the next stages of Marine Conservation Zone designation in English and non devolved waters is launched today.  But with only 23 out of a possible 37 sites included, The Wildlife Trusts are frustrated at the lack of ambition shown by the Government.

Joan Edwards, The Wildlife Trusts’ Head of Living Seas, said:  “We are bitterly disappointed that the Government has opted to consult on just 23 new Marine Conservation Zones and that some very important areas for marine wildlife  have been dropped from the list.  We are particularly frustrated that a number of sites – including in the Irish Sea - have been removed because of the likely ‘economic cost’. 

“The Wildlife Trusts believe this is a missed opportunity to achieve longer-term gains that will benefit marine biodiversity and fishing.  Ultimately an economic activity that is based on over-exploitation, beyond the ability of the resource to renew itself, is not sustainable and has no long-term future. 

In Devon the news of two new recommended MCZs was met with a mixed reaction by Devon Wildlife Trust. While the news of more protection for North Devon’s marine wildlife was welcomed, The Trust reflected on missed opportunities elsewhere. Devon Wildlife Trust’s Richard White said:

“We are pleased that Government has recognised the value of North Devon’s marine life by recommending two areas for protection.  These two new proposed Marine Conservation Zones at Bideford to Foreland Point and Hartland Point to Tintagel are home to a stunning variety of marine life. Their collections of corals and sponges form a beautiful backdrop to shoals of colourful fish.  All will benefit from the protection provided by becoming Marine Conservation Zones.”

“At this stage today’s proposals for new MCZs are just recommendations and the Government is now asking people their views on whether they should become a reality. We’d urge anyone who cares about the future of the South West’s marine life to back these MCZs and take part in the government’s consultation process. Responding doesn’t take long via Defra’s website. It gives everybody an opportunity to shape the future of our precious marine wildlife.”

“While today’s announcement provides some good news we are very disappointed that we still don’t have the network of areas of protection that our seas need. We hope that this will be remedied by Government in the future.”

Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of York, Callum Roberts, says: "The decision not to create protected areas in the Irish Sea on the grounds of cost to fisheries is ironic and misguided. Irish Sea fish stocks are among the most heavily overexploited in the UK and are now on their last gasp.  Two centuries of fishing with destructive trawls and dredges has stripped the seabed of its fish and once-rich habitats like oyster and horse mussel reefs.  It will remain impoverished without protected areas; it has a chance of recovery with them.  There is no in between."

The North West Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Conservation Officer, Dr Emily Baxter, said: “The muddy habitats of the Irish Sea are as diverse as the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs.  There are also living reefs that support a wealth of species from sponges, crabs, lobsters, and anemones to an array of seaweeds.  At least 30 species of shark and a dozen species of cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises) live in the Irish Sea, including the basking shark, the world's second largest fish.

“By postponing action to protect these areas yet again, the Government is leaving the Irish Sea open to an environmental disaster. 

“Supporting sustainable fisheries, instead of encouraging overfishing and habitat destruction, would increase fish landings, generate more income and create more jobs in the sector.  Decision-makers need to think of sustainable fisheries as an opportunity for job creation and increasing the value of fisheries rather than an environmental principal that comes at a price to the industry.  Marine Conservation Zones are a vital part of this process.”

Joan Edwards explains:  “Only this week, the Government’s Natural Capital Committee published a report which shows that investment in nature makes obvious economic sense.  The Government must develop a comprehensive strategy to secure the recovery of nature in a generation.  This must include the designation of a well managed and ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.” 

The Wildlife Trusts will be responding to the Government consultation and plan to publish our recommendations online in due course.  We will be urging the public to have their say and respond to the consultation to help ensure no further potential Marine Conservation Zones are lost. See www.wildlifetrusts.org/mcz

Marine Conservation Zones protect threatened undersea habitats such as eelgrass meadows, rocky reefs and deepwater canyons – and the animals that live in and around them.  These important sanctuaries for marine life remain at risk until more areas offering effective protection are established.  Marine Conservation Zones should protect the species and habitats found within them from the most damaging and degrading of activities such as scallop dredging and trawling, whilst mostly allowing sustainable activity to continue. 

Valley of Rocks, North Devon Photo copyright Nigel Hicks (All rights reserved)

Of the 37 sites listed below, 23 are now included in the current Marine Conservation Zones consultation, which runs for 12 weeks from Friday 30 January 2015.  The 23 sites are shown in bold black (we’re disappointed the ones in red have been dropped – for site descriptions, please see attached document):

Coquet to St Mary’s	Farne’s East	Fulmar	Runswick Bay	Compass Rose
Holderness Inshore	Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds	Swale Estuary	Dover to Deal	Dover to Folkestone
Offshore Brighton	Offshore Overfalls	Utopia	Bembridge	Norris to Ryde
Yarmouth to Cowes	The Needles	Studland Bay	Western Channel	Mounts Bay
Lands End	North-West of Jones Bank	Greater Haig Fras	Newquay and the Gannel	Hartland Point to Tintagel
Bideford to Foreland Point	North of Lundy	South of Celtic Deep	Celtic Deep	East of Celtic Deep
Mid St Georges Channel	North St Georges Channel	Slieve Na Griddle	South Rigg	West of Walney
Mud Hole	Allonby Bay

The centre-piece of the landmark Marine & Coastal Access Act (2009) legislation was the commitment to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas throughout UK seas; a response to the widely acknowledged crisis facing the health, diversity and productivity of our seas.  While this Parliament has seen the first designations, we remain a long way from the full network.  

127 recommended Marine Conservation Zones were chosen after two years of hard work by more than one million stakeholders from all sectors of the marine environment and at a cost of over £8.8 million to Government.  Twenty seven Marine Conservation Zones were designated in November 2013 as a first step towards achieving an ecologically coherent network of areas which will protect and help to restore the marine environment.  In February, Defra released a list of 37 sites, recommended by experts and stakeholders, to be considered for a second tranche of Marine Conservation Zones.  The excluded areas were identified by the statutory nature advisors as necessary to help fill current gaps in the network of protected areas at sea and achieve ecological coherence.  The Government is committed to a third tranche, to complete the network, by 2016.

Its official, beavers are back

England's only breeding population of wild beavers look to have a brighter future after an announcement made today. Devon Wildlife Trust is hailing the decision by Natural England to grant the charity a five year licence to monitor the beavers as a key moment in the history of modern conservation. The charity is welcoming the positive news after spending months of hard work trying to secure a long term future for the animals. The beavers, which live on the River Otter in East Devon, were first discovered to be breeding in February 2014. A beaver and kits were filmed on the River Otter in February 2014 by local amateur wildlife cameraman Tom Buckley. The footage was proof of the presence of the first breeding beavers in England for hundreds of years. Anecdotal sightings of beavers and beaver activity point to beavers being present on the river for three years or possibly longer. Defra announced its intention to capture and remove the animals in July citing the risk to human health from a tape-worm that European beavers are known to carry, but which is not currently present in the UK. Defra's decision sparked an overwhelming response from local people, with the vast majority showing their support for the beavers to remain. Devon Wildlife Trust has spent the last six months working with Defra, Natural England, local farmers and the wider community to secure a solution that would see the disease risk addressed and the beavers remain. Harry Barton, Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, said: 'We are delighted by Natural England's decision to grant us a licence to give these beavers a long term future on the River Otter. It's the result of a great deal of effort by our charity, supported by partner organisations across the UK and, most importantly, by the local community.' Harry added: 'This is an historic moment. The beavers of the River Otter are the first breeding population in the English countryside for hundreds of years. Estimates of when beavers went extinct in England vary. Recent documentary and archaeological research by Prof Bryony Coles, University of Exeter, suggests that remnant populations of beavers may have survived into the 1700s ('Beavers in the Past', 2006). We believe they can play a positive role in the landscapes of the 21st century through their ability to restore our rivers to their former glories. We know from our own research and research done in Europe that beavers are excellent aquatic-engineers improving the flood and drought resilience of our countryside and increasing the water quality of our rivers. See for example, 'Qualitative and quantitative effects of reintroduced beavers on stream fish', Fish and Fisheries, Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 158-181, June 2012. See also the interim findings of the Scottish Beaver Trial www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/ They are incredibly industrious animals and their hard work has benefits for people and wildlife.' Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts also welcomed the news: 'It is wonderful to hear that the first breeding population of beavers in England for hundreds of years is going to be allowed to remain in the wild. This is testament to the commitment of all involved, not least Devon Wildlife Trust and Defra. We know that we can't bring back all the great animals that the country's lost - at least not everywhere - but where it is feasible we owe it to future generations to do so. Wildlife Trusts are playing a key role in helping wildlife onto a firmer footing throughout the UK.' Natural England's decision grants the Devon Wildlife Trust a licence to monitor the beavers for the next five years. The charity's River Otter Beaver Trial will work with international experts to record and evaluate the impact of the animals. Peter Burgess, Devon Wildlife Trust's Conservation Manager, led the licence application to Natural England. He explained what the project will mean: 'This project will measure the impact that these beavers have on the local environment, on the local economy and on local people. The evidence from elsewhere shows that beavers should have an overwhelmingly positive effect, but this is the first time the animals will be living in a well-populated, agriculturally productive English landscape for hundreds of years. We need to ensure that any negative impacts of beavers are avoided. This will mean working alongside the Environment Agency, local authorities and landowners to manage any problems that may arise over the coming years.' At present Natural England is yet to announce the full details of the licence. Peter added: 'Although we're very pleased to have been granted the licence we will need to consider its terms in full before the project can get under way. It needs to be a licence which will work for us and safeguard the needs of local communities, the economy, landowners and the beavers.' As part of the licence the beavers will be briefly be brought in to captivity in order for health checks to be made. This process will be overseen by Defra with expert advice from leading zoological and beaver experts. At the conclusion of the project in 2020 the River Otter Beaver Trial will present Natural England with its evidence. Using this information a decision will be made on the future of the beavers on the river. Devon Wildlife Trust now faces the task of funding the River Otter Beaver Project. An initial call for donations led to £45,000 being raised in just two months. However the cost of the five year monitoring project is estimated to run well above this figure. The charity is now asking supporters of the beavers to come to its aid and donate via its website www.devonwildlifetrust.org or by phone on 01392 279244.

River Otter Beaver - Photo copyright David Land (All rights reserved)