Beaver release hopes for Isle of Wight as consultation launched

A public consultation means Island residents are being asked for their views about the potential release through a questionnaire being sent to every Isle of Wight home from Monday.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is hoping to support the recovery of the paddle-tailed, aquatic mammals with an initial introduction on the Isle of Wight next year.

In doing so, the Island would become just one of a handful of places in the UK where the industrious creatures can be found in the wild.

Beavers could be introduced on the Isle of Wight

They were hunted to extinction in the UK around 400 years ago,

Conservation efforts have allowed beavers to make a remarkable comeback in recent years and can now be found thriving in Scotland, Devon, Kent, Somerset, Wiltshire and Herefordshire.

Following a feasibility study carried out by the Wildlife Trust with support from Exeter University and consultant experts, the Island's Eastern Yar river was found to have suitable habitat to support a beaver population.

Beaver picture by David Parkyn.

The Isle of Wight has a dedicated beaver officer

Izzie Tween has been appointed beaver recovery project officer.

She said: “The Isle of Wight is an incredible place for wildlife. But nature is still declining here and faces threats from climate change, development, pollution and loss of wildlife and wild places.

“We want to make the Island better for wildlife and we need the public's support to help put nature in recovery.

“Beavers are known as ecosystem engineers, transforming habitats and creating wetlands that benefit wildlife and people.

"Beavers help reduce downstream flooding, filter out pollution to create cleaner water and create habitats that are advantageous for other species, including otters, water voles, birds, amphibians, insects and breeding fish.

“All these benefits could really enhance our ecosystems with advantages for downstream communities and wildlife, and being a nature-based solution, beavers can be a cost-effective way to tackle these issues to help restore our rivers.”

What happens next re beaver introduction?

Following the consultation, the trust hopes to submit a licence application to Natural England, which is needed for any beaver release.

The trust would like to encourage all Island residents to complete the questionnaire, as the information collected will be used to identify attitudes towards beaver introduction.

The results of the consultation will be shared publicly, but participation will be fully anonymised on publication.

The questionnaire is at hiwwt.typeform.com/beaver-online