|
 |
Scotland welcomes back the beaver – Wildlife Extra questions the cost29/05/2009 09:50:07
Scottish beaver leaving it's prefab lodge. Credit RZSS Scotland beavers return to the wild Three beaver families from Norway
Scottish Minister for the Environment, Roseanna Cunningham, arrived at the trial site this morning to show her support for the project, and assisted with the release of one of the family groups. Roseanna Cunningham said: "Welcoming beavers back to Scotland marks a historic day for conservation. These charismatic creatures are not only likely to create interest in Scotland from further afield but crucially can play a key role in providing good habitat for a wide range of wetland species. And while a great deal of research has already gone into the reintroduction this work is far from over. Observations and data collection over the next five years will play a crucial role in assessing the long term future for beavers in the Scottish landscape." Extinct in the UK since 16th Century  Beaver released in Scotland with tag on its back to help with th eresearch project. Credit RZSS. Beaver reintroduced to 24 European countries Unjustifiable costWhile Wildlife Extra is delighted and thrilled to see beavers being released back into their natural habitat within the UK, WE believes that the £1 Million price tag is an inordinate amount of money that could have been much better used elsewhere. Beavers are not an endangered species and if it was really necessary to spend that amount of cash on this project, WE believes it was as waste. Other projects that could have used the cash- Scottish Wildcats - Just 400 pure bred left in the wild. Threat to fish? Time limited trial Artificial lodges "Now that our beavers have been released into the wild, the real work of our trial can begin. First and foremost, this is a scientific study of how the beavers cope naturally in the Scottish environment and what effect they have upon it. We will be closely tracking the beavers' activities and collecting data over the next five years to help inform the independent scientific monitoring, co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage. This will help the Scottish Government in making any final decisions on the future of beavers in Knapdale Forest or elsewhere in Scotland. Beaver being transported to its release site after 6 months in quarantine. Credit RZSS. "Visitors will stand a better chance of seeing beaver signs, and maybe even some beavers, by waiting a few months to make their trip to the trial site. By timing your visit in the early morning or early evening, you will have the best chance of spotting these intriguing animals in the wild." FCS is the host partner of the Scottish Beaver Trial and believes that Knapdale Forest is an ideal location to carry out the project as it covers a range of important habitats and biodiversity. The trial area is also in the heart of a forest which produces timber and provides recreational facilities for people, making it a suitable place to explore how beavers co-exist with forestry operations and the environment. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is the independent body tasked by the Scottish Government to co-ordinate the scientific monitoring of the trial. SNH will report to the Scottish Government at the end of the trial period and a decision can then be made on the future of the beavers in Knapdale Forest and elsewhere in Scotland. The Scottish Government approved a licence for the release of the beaver families in Knapdale Forest in May 2008, following a two-month long public consultation which showed that 73% of respondents were in favour of the trial. The Scottish Beaver Trial is part of the Species Action Framework.
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Read the comments about this article and leave your own comment
Just think about it, 1 million means less guilt for humanity for being the cause for their destruction!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beavers being reintroduced means that one more step has been taken to get back Scotland's wild side, beavers are key for biodiversity and earn money for Scotland itself by having an animal that raises tourism value.
LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE!!!!!!!
Posted by: irishturtle0124 | 14 Oct 2012 00:10:07
does that include land acquisitions? if so, then that's not so much. if not, then it does make you wonder whether there's been a given amount of misspending.
Posted by: robert piller | 08 Feb 2011 15:49:50
So, 1.8 million quid to semi-release a well-studied robust native herbivore into prime habitat seems to be too much for most people! I have to agree- how many other projects will be robbed of funds to pay for this needlessly bloated scheme?
I'd just like to thank WE for having the spine to hold debates like these. As some of the (really interesting) comments here show- there are a wide range of opinions out there about what conservation is for and where it should go. The future of our wildlife is too important to be left to technocrats, rich landowners or politicians, but on the other hand popular ideas about nature often flow more from Beatrix Potter than good science! Debate is essential but sadly lacking. WE is becoming a great forum- Keep it up!
Posted by: Mark | 28 Jun 2009 23:49:44
I applaud you for being brave enough to question the costs of reintroducing the beaver. And you've underestimated it I believe. The first round of research about 4 years ago cost £400,000 alone. So I think that could be added.
I, and others, have been campaigning to SAVE the red squirrel, which is clearly endangered, and the sums spent by Government at the time of the research into Beavers were under £100,000 p.a. (around £20,000 in South Scotland). Its a question of priorities...
SURELY its better to save an animal from extinction, before we reintroduce the extinct ones? Or maybe its not so headline catching?
Posted by: A Steel | 19 Jun 2009 22:36:20
WE take your points on board, and I appreciate that the beavers will have a much wider beneficial affect on their habitats. WE do not question whether beavers should be reintroduced in any way, but merely the cost involved.
If the cost was 100 Million £, that would patently be too much. If the cost was £500, that would be great value. Somewhere in the middle is a reasonable amount, and we are disagreeing over where that level is, not the philosophy itself.
Many other countries have reintroduced beavers across Europe, including, as you say, Romania. These reintroductions would have provided plenty of data that should have made a 7 year trial unnecessary, thus vastly reducing the cost.
And I suspect that the Romanians, Belgians, Hungarians and Croatians, who have all reintroduced beavers, didn't spend £1.8M each on the reintroductions, in total.
Reintroduce the beavers into Knapdale, fantastic, and perhaps go back in a few years and see how they are getting on, or perhaps just look at the beavers already in Kent, Devon & Gloucestershire and see how they are faring. But £1.8m (assuming no further cost increases)?
Posted by: Powell Ettinger | 18 Jun 2009 09:48:18
I would like to add my disappointment to that expressed by others regarding the response of Wildlife Extra to the release of beavers in Scotland. Unlike many other species which have an intrinsic value in themselves but little positive impact on the environment generally, the activities of beavers have knock-on benefits to many species of invertebrate, amphibian, fish, mammal and bird. In an article a couple of years ago Rob Strachan cited beavers as having potential benefits for as many as 32 species of conservation concern.
Once they have established themselves, beavers will provide these benefits indefinitely as part of their daily lives and the cost of the reintroduction project, coupled with the ongoing cost of mitigating any conflicts, pales into insignificance when you consider what it would cost to create these benefits to both wildlife and water quality using conservation workers or contractors.
Given that countries as poor as Roumania reintroduced beavers years ago, along with the majority of the rest of Europe, it is long overdue that a country as comparatively wealthy as ours should finally be reintroducing such an important animal.
Posted by: Kate | 03 Jun 2009 15:25:48
Please read this quote from an evangelist called Anthony Campolo:
"I have three things I'd like to say.
How many lives could have been saved with this money?
Posted by: Children are dieing | 03 Jun 2009 12:58:01
Whilst it's great to see beavers back in the UK i think the money would have been much better spent on animals already here that need the help, such as the scottish wildcats, or dolphins.
Posted by: | 03 Jun 2009 12:44:55
Dear WE,
I was extremely disappointed to read your view on the current beaver trial. Your words were facile and narrow-minded and not of the usual calibre expected from your pages. You have managed to miss the point entirely; conservation is not only about endangered species but incorporates a whole arena of approaches, philosophies and objectives. The restoration of damaged ecosystems, of which individual species are a part, is but one aspect of the game being played. Although the wisdom of the concept as a whole is, of course, arguable, the long-term goal of restoring much of the fauna of the British Isles is what is being begun here, not just the isolated reintroduction of one species. Please refrain from such ill-thought out commentary in the future.
Posted by: Gareth | 01 Jun 2009 07:47:44
A million quid is going to be spent on Ilkley Moor over the next 10 years, mostly to compensate commoners to reduce the number of sheep they graze on the moor. Good value for public money?? Won't see any tree cover developing - birdists will see to that!
Millions get spent on butterflies so we have 5 instead of six. Millions get spent on nightjars and Dartford warblers. The list goes on.
Yes, its wrong to have a fashion parade for what gets funded. I would go for a reforestation project every time. But the beaver is something special, not just because of the animal that it is, but because its hopefully successful reintroduction will prove a point, and maybe make the next reintroduction that much easier.
Posted by: Mark Fisher | 30 May 2009 10:38:47
I couldn't agree more. Beaver restoration will have far reaching benefits for whole ecosystems which can never be measured in monetary terms. Compared to the reintroduction of the Large Blue or the Great Bustard, the status of many more species will be likely to improve with this program. An obscenely wealthy country such as the UK has the potential to set an example to the rest of the world by reclaiming its historic biodiversity.
Posted by: Phil | 30 May 2009 03:38:57
Your complaint about the cost of the beaver reintroduction is depressingly mean and narrow-minded.
The beaver is a keystone species, reshaping its environment in ways that are good for biodiversity. Its reintroduction is more important than the alternative ways of spending the money that you mention - and in any case these things aren't either/or, it's a question of what inspires individuals to donate.
As a member of SWT for 30 years, I think this one of their most exciting and worthwhile projects, and will happily donate a little more if the project needs it.
A final thought: the cost is high only because of the precautions that have to be taken to protect our biodiversity. They probably aren't necessary in the case of the beaver, but I guess one has to applaud government for being cautious.
Posted by: Denis Mollison | 29 May 2009 14:13:24