That’s the BBC for you. Working hard to eventually report the news that other outlets have broken if the Guardian posts it first – adding a negative twist at the end that basically makes sure it will unsay everything it just said if the news is in any way controversial.
Beavers ‘help to prevent flooding’, says study
Scotland’s beaver population may help to prevent flooding, according to an academic study.
The rodents, which are living wild around the River Tay, were accused by some locals of contributing to flooding in the Perthshire village of Alyth. But Stirling University researchers said beaver dams helped to mitigate flooding by storing and then slowly releasing water.
And they said beaver dams also helped to improve local wildlife habitats.
The study was part of a 13-year programme of research by the university’s scientists, who studied streams which drained water from 13 hectares of surrounding countryside.Areas where beavers were known to have been active were compared with areas in which they were absent.Pools created by the dams had 20 times more aquatic plant life, and the number of species in the surrounding habitat was 28% higher.
Nicely said. Beavers improve biodiversity and reduce farming pollutants. Don’t think for one moment that they it’s a quirky accident of language that they called this a STUDY rather than RESEARCH. Because now it’s time for the UN-SAYING:
NFU Scotland deputy director of policy Andrew Bauer said: “Statistically, it was always likely that there would be small pockets of land where the environmental benefit might outweigh the considerable problems being caused.
“There is no indication where the 13 hectares mentioned in this case are, but any benefits seen in localised areas will need to be viewed by the environment minister against the damage being done to productive farmland, long standing flood banks and established woodland on large parts of Tayside.”
Anne Gray, policy officer at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “We are not opposed to official trials of beaver reintroductions but this process has to be properly managed, which did not happen with the illegal release in Tayside.
“As we know from the trial at Knapdale, there may be some environmental benefits from beavers but this must be balanced against the negative impacts on many farm and forestry businesses.”
Such commitment to science. Delivered with all the unbiased open-mindedness of Waldorf and Statler.
No matter. The research has been reported in the BBC now and that makes it much harder to ignore. I believe that places our beaver friends in the UK on step three of the Gandhi advice-for-winning-just-battles-over-improbable-odds hierarchy.
