Reintroducing beavers to a river on the Isle of Wight would restore biodiversity in the area, wildlife experts have said, as calls grow for the government to kickstart 'stalling' plans to bring back the species.

The network of wildlife charities, The Wildlife Trusts, has published a report asking for licences to release the semi-aquatic mammals into the wild, rather than only in fenced enclosures, in England and Wales.

They say scientific studies show beavers can improve water quality and help store carbon, by managing rivers and wetlands naturally through coppicing trees and building dams.

On the River Yar, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust wants to reintroduce two to three pairs or families of beavers in the hope of restoring the ecology of the river system.

Read more: Project to release beavers on the Isle of Wight now in doubt

Nicola Wheeler, the trust’s beaver officer, said the return of beavers would bring back biodiversity to sites along the Yar, slow the flow downriver and reduce flooding and retain water in the flood plain to provide a more sustainable water resource.

“If the government allowed wild beaver releases, with projects like this there’s a requirement to assess what the local impacts could be, to draw out positives, but also to provide support for coexistence, so to provide help with communities who aren’t used to having beavers in the landscape.

“Whereas the situation at the moment is that there’s a lot of illegal releases going on, and nobody’s taking responsibility for beavers in the landscape in those areas,” she said.

Despite launching a consultation on the future of wild beavers and giving them protected status in England, the previous government failed to put in place the steps needed for their return, conservationists say.

The Wildlife Trusts wants Labour governments in Westminster and Wales to publish an ambitious beaver reintroduction strategy, provide finance to land managers who make space for beavers through the farming payments schemes and agree funding support for beaver management groups.

Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at The Wildlife Trusts, said the benefits of beavers are widely acknowledged, yet reintroduction efforts have stalled.

“Given the climate and nature crises, we need beavers back in the wild to give us a hand to resolve these challenges", he said.

A Defra spokesperson said: “This government is absolutely committed to restoring and protecting nature and we support species reintroductions where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment.

“We will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions in England.”

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century, but are now found living in the wild on a number of rivers in Scotland and England through official trials and illegal releases or escapes.