Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reconsider DEFRA and Natural England's categorisation of beavers as a non-native species in England, in the light of that animal's categorisation as a native species in Scotland and its status as a European Protected Species.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Beavers are categorised as a native species in England. Beavers became a European Protected Species in 2022 under Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (the ‘Habitats Regulations’). This makes it an offence to deliberately capture, injure, kill or disturb beavers, or damage and destroy their breeding sites or resting place without a licence issued under regulation 55 of the Habitats Regulations by Natural England.

Recognising the potential risk that unmanaged beaver releases into the wild can bring, legislation was introduced in 2015 adding the beaver to schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the ‘WCA’) so that releases in England would require a licence.

The Beaver (England) Order 2022 amended Schedule 9 of the WCA to retain the requirement for a licence for release of beavers after the species was given protected status and formally recognised as a returned native species.

Although beavers are a native species whose return is welcomed, licensing their release helps ensure beaver release projects are high quality, follow the England reintroductions code, and take place where benefits can be maximised, and risks minimised.