Beavers - Rewilding

[Foxyboy43]

Well then - imagine introduced beavers becoming a problem??
Scotland's highest civil court to rule on right to kill beavers
Scotland's highest civil court to rule on right to kill beavers

 

[shakey jake]

nothing worse than an unruly beaver, properly train a glorious thing

 

[Foxyboy43]

Surprised it took so long really…….

 

[sh1kar]

Clearfell beaver better than wild
S

 

[dartmoordog]

They introduced them here in Devon on the River Otter, they are always known as “The Otter Beaver”. Cannot wait for them to be introduced on the Itchen!

 

[Hayduke]

Brazilian beaver better than European!

 

[tozzybum]

They introduced them here in Devon on the River Otter, they are always known as “The Otter Beaver”. Cannot wait for them to be introduced on the Itchen!

Canestan Dd cures that Itchen allegedly

 

[Cootmeurer]

 

[Smelly Yeti]

I hate all of this ‘rewilding’ !

As hunters we probably possess a greater desire than most to ensure the natural balance & preservation of the environment that we spend huge amounts of time in.

When are these idiotic ‘armchair warriors’ going to understand that you cannot simply reintroduce a species into an ecosystem that is vastly changed from what it was when that same species was originally removed without significant consequence (both good & bad)?!

 

[User00025]

They introduced them here in Devon on the River Otter, they are always known as “The Otter Beaver”. Cannot wait for them to be introduced on the Itchen!

Don't forget the Dorset Piddle beaver.

 

[Mungo]

I hate all of this ‘rewilding’ !

As hunters we probably possess a greater desire than most to ensure the natural balance & preservation of the environment that we spend huge amounts of time in.

When are these idiotic ‘armchair warriors’ going to understand that you cannot simply reintroduce a species into an ecosystem that is vastly changed from what it was when that same species was originally removed without significant consequence (both good & bad)?!

I doubt many of them think there are no consequences. They have instead come to the conclusion that the positives outweigh the negatives.

No different to releasing game birds. You’re fooling yourself or lying if you claim they have no negative consequences, but you’ve decided the positives outweigh the negatives.

The truth, as is almost always the case, is that any environmental intervention has a mix of effects, and people decide over time whether on balance they prefer the world with the intervention or not.

Currently more and more people are deciding they like an environment with beavers in it, and all that entails. So be it. It will have costs, but so does everything we do, and we find ways to justify or mitigate those costs.

Not really much point getting worked up about it.

 

[willie_gunn]

Don't forget the Dorset Piddle beaver.

They’d have to cross the Chew before making the Piddle.

 

[Grannysmith]

Why would we introduce. One animal to the detriment of so many others ie salmon and trout etc etc?
Peckham and his ilk should hang there heads in shame.
And don't get me started on flooding!
Whilst I was in Canada farmers were begging us to shoot them because of the damage they caused

 

[willie_gunn]

I doubt many of them think there are no consequences. They have instead come to the conclusion that the positives outweigh the negatives.

No different to releasing game birds. You’re fooling yourself or lying if you claim they have no negative consequences, but you’ve decided the positives outweigh the negatives.

The truth, as is almost always the case, is that any environmental intervention has a mix of effects, and people decide over time whether on balance they prefer the world with the intervention or not.

Currently more and more people are deciding they like an environment with beavers in it, and all that entails. So be it. It will have costs, but so does everything we do, and we find ways to justify or mitigate those costs.

Not really much point getting worked up about it.

This.

Everything in our landscape is a compromise.

Just look at deer - I don’t see a lot of enthusiasm here for the eradication of non-native species, and many still wish for them to appear on their ground.

 

[willie_gunn]

Why would we introduce. One animal to the detriment of so many others ie salmon and trout etc etc?
Peckham and his ilk should hang there heads in shame.
And don't get me started on flooding!
Whilst I was in Canada farmers were begging us to shoot them because of the damage they caused

I guess we’d best not mention then the huge numbers of non-native trout we seem quite happy to release into our rivers for the sole benefit of fisherman and the detriment of other species

 

[StephenToast]

I guess we’d best not mention then the huge numbers of non-native trout we seem quite happy to release into our rivers for the sole benefit of fisherman and the detriment of other species

Not to detract from your argument, because I agree with you, but it is my understanding that it's a legal requirement for rainbow trout released into UK waters to be "triploid" which means, among other things that they can't breed. If I am right (long time ago since I heard it) and I haven't just imagined it, it's really clever stuff.

So their impact should be short lived as the population shouldn't persist beyond the lifespan of the last fish released

 

[Grannysmith]

Agreed but we shouldn't do that except into landlocked lakes where a catch and kill policy is in place.
And I don't know of any rivers around here at least that it is legal to release non natives ie rainbows e.g.

 

[willie_gunn]

Not to detract from your argument, because I agree with you, but it is my understanding that it's a legal requirement for rainbow trout released into UK waters to be "triploid" which means, among other things that they can't breed. If I am right (long time ago since I heard it) and I haven't just imagined it, it's really clever stuff.

So their impact should be short lived as the population shouldn't persist beyond the lifespan of the last fish released

Indeed….but I was thinking more about their impact on everything else in the river. Whether they breed or not is immaterial from that perspective.

Edit: here’s a link to information on the release of trout: Trout Stocking | Wild Trout Trust

 

[Mungo]

Why would we introduce. One animal to the detriment of so many others ie salmon and trout etc etc?
Peckham and his ilk should hang there heads in shame.
And don't get me started on flooding!
Whilst I was in Canada farmers were begging us to shoot them because of the damage they caused

There is quite a lot of good evidence that beavers have a net positive effect on migratory salmonids.

Bear in mind that salmonids evolved in river systems with beavers present. Chances are they are better adapted to systems with beavers than without…

 

[willie_gunn]

Agreed but we shouldn't do that except into landlocked lakes where a catch and kill policy is in place.
And I don't know of any rivers around here at least that it is legal to release non natives ie rainbows e.g.

Having caught some (dare I say it, impressive) rainbow trout on the Test last year I’d beg to differ.


Even if it’s just brown trout that are released - having scores of artificially introduced fish in the river makes a significant difference to the overall ecosystem.

I am not suggesting we ban it, but rather pointing out that we need to be careful of coming across all “holier than thou”.