This morning’s Sunday times, which is the widest-read paper in the UK, invites us all to pity the poor, frightened farmer whose very livelihood is hanging in the balance as we consider those horrible beavers.
Gnawing fears over beavers
The Scottish government’s plans to introduce legal protection for beavers while sanctioning lethal culls to protect the environment has prompted concern from wildlife campaigners. Beavers, which were hunted to extinction in Scotland during the 16th century, are due to get legal protection for the first time this year under plans to allow the species to expand naturally.
However, farmers and landowners will be allowed to shoot the animals under special licences issued by Scottish National Heritage to prevent flooding and protect trees from the expert dam-builders.
The approach has attracted criticism from animal rights campaigners who warn that “unofficial persecution” is being replaced by licensed killing.
Farmers and landowners have opposed the project amid reports that persecution of beavers, including pregnant females, has escalated during the run-up to plans to award the species legal protection.
The Scottish government is expected to place a statutory instrument before the Scottish parliament this year, granting the animals European protected species status.
“Where farmers are concerned about beaver activity on their land, we hope to see a well-funded support programme to resolve conflicts without resorting to lethal control,” said Harry Huyton, the charity’s director. “There are many non-lethal ways of managing the impact of beavers. Above all, we must ensure that the unofficial persecution they have suffered until now isn’t simply replaced by licensed lethal control.”
Mark Ruskell, a Scottish Green MSP, said: “The legislation to protect beavers has faced unacceptable delay and as a result there is a still a free-for-all whereby farmers and land managers can kill pregnant and nursing beavers this year with impunity.
“It’s important that whatever management regime is put in place is not based on the gun.”
I know that the big issue facing folks advocating for the Tay beavers was always permission to kill. People were willing to tolerate beavers IF there was an easy way out. I’ve come to understand that some trap door has to be built into their protection, but it would be nice if it wasn’t just a bullet from some resistant farmer without any oversight at all.
“Specifically, where less drastic mitigation measures — such as use of deterrent fencing and translocation — cannot be implemented, and in addition where a clear public interest in culling has been demonstrated.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said licences to control beavers will be carefully managed by Scottish National Heritage, in accordance with the law related to European protected species.
“But in certain locations, the species can create serious difficulties for farmers and other land managers. That’s why the Scottish government has been clear that beavers have to be actively managed, in line with the practice elsewhere in Europe.”
Andrew Bauer, deputy director of policy at NFU Scotland, welcomed “broad agreement” between the Scottish government, farming and conservation groups that appropriate “lethal and non-lethal management of beavers is essential”.
Alright. Beavers can come back after 500 years and we’ll grant them a thin sliver of protection BUT the moment they cause problems and a flow device doesn’t work or costs too much, we still get to kill them, right?
Maybe the concerned countryside can take a page from this story, which I’m told got its inspiration from the Martinez Beavers. Cindy Margolis of Golden Gate Audubon sent it my way this morning saying
“Your example of translating a wildlife conflict into an opportunity to do something much better for wildlife AND the community has always been an inspiration, Heidi. So, we’re trying to ensure a safe future for Oakland’s herons and it might actually be on the verge of happening….”
The Great Heron Project
If kids ruled Oakland, black-crowned night herons would already be the city’s official bird. As it is, a group of Park Day School students is planning to relaunch a petition to help protect these night birds that go kwok in the dark—as an ambitious project to relocate the herons’ downtown rookery moves forward.
As third-grade Park Day teacher Devin Homme explained, last year, a group of his students launched a petition to make the night heron Oakland’s official bird, after learning that the largest night-heron rookery in the Bay Area is in downtown Oakland—a less than ideal location, thanks to the fact that heron chicks tend to shove their weaker siblings out of the nest.
“The idea was, if the herons become the official bird of Oakland, then no one will say ‘no’ to them,” Homme said of the petition, which described the herons as being “cool and funky just like Oakland,” and warned that, “their babies are falling out of their trees.”
And now those relocation plans are moving forward: In November, biologists retrieved 130 night-heron and 20 snowy-egret nests from ficus trees on Harrison and 12th streets, and then contractors drastically pruned the trees to prevent more nesting. The next day, crews removed 13 ficus trees around a parking lot that covered the city block between 13th, 14th, Alice, and Jackson streets. No one knows what the herons thought, since they don’t start nesting until February. But passersby expressed concern about the future of the birds as workers cut down the trees.
Margulis said she was glad everyone cares about the herons, but it’s not against the law to remove trees or a night-heron rookery—once nesting season is over. “So, I commend the city and the project developer for taking the relocation project seriously,” she said.
As for the Park Day students, last year they met with Councilmember Dan Kalb, papered Oakland with heron art, and even secured Mayor Libby Schaaf’s verbal support for their petition, which garnered about 1,440 signatures. And you can bet your night-heron breeding feathers that the students are preparing to relaunch their petition, this time with the support of Oakland Zoo, as they track the rookery relocation project
Well I personally would have been happier if they moved the post office and the developers rather than the nests, but still. Investing city monies to protect urban wildlife and getting the community involved is a very positive thing. I am sure it happened because of those kids and their ability to make everyone want to do the right thing. Congratulations Cindy!
Oakland Herons should have a table at the beaver festival!
