Beaver release approved in the River Ness catchment

A licence has been granted to Trees for Life and the Beaver Trust to release up to 15 beaver families over three years.

The decision will help increase the current range of beavers in Scotland, as set out as a priority in Scotland's Beaver Strategy 2022-2045.

The application was assessed in line with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations, which considers a range of issues including site suitability, animal welfare and potential impacts on neighbouring and community interests.

The assessment concluded that beavers could significantly boost biodiversity in the catchment, with the landscape at low risk of negative impacts from beaver activity.

Overall responses to the applicants’ consultation process were positive, with more than 73% of respondents supportive. However, some concerns were raised by land and fisheries managers and residents within the catchment.

Robbie Kernahan, NatureScot Director for Wildlife Management, said: “After a careful assessment, we believe that bringing beavers back to the Ness catchment will significantly improve the biodiversity of this part of Scotland.

“Beavers can bring many benefits for nature and people, creating habitats such as ponds and wetlands where other species thrive, as well as moderating water flows in times of flood and water scarcity. 

"Some concerns have been raised by land managers and residents through the consultation process and we take these seriously. We have assessed the monitoring and mitigation plans set out by the applicants and believe that, along with our existing Beaver Mitigation Scheme, any potential conflicts that may arise can be resolved.”

The closest beavers to the River Ness catchment are at Abriachan and in Strathglass with at least one beaver known to be resident on the River Oich. However, in the short term, colonisation of a genetically diverse population in the River Ness catchment from these existing populations is unlikely.

Any beavers released will be trapped and taken under licence from areas where they are having a negative impact on prime agricultural land and where mitigation measures have not been successful or are not possible. The beavers will undergo appropriate health screening before being released.

For more information, see NatureScot’s decision document setting out how the licence application was assessed.

ENDS