OVERWHELMING opposition against the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) proposals to remove a family of beavers from the River Otter this autumn was expressed at a public consultation event.
The wave of public support for the animals was demonstrated at the Devon Wildlife Trust staged event in Ottery St Mary, which is just upstream from where the beavers are thought to be residing.
Once native to the UK, beavers were hunted to extinction 500 years ago and it is still unknown how they made their return to the wild on the banks of the river.
After they came to Defra's attention around seven months ago, the department announced its controversial decision in July to remove and re-home the beavers because of the risk of disease and the negative impact they could have on the landscape.
Defra officials confirmed that there is a low chance the beavers may carry Echinococcus multilocularis disease and because the animals have not been established in Britain for so long, it was necessary to assess their impact.
But critics of the proposals believe that the suggestion of rounding up the beavers is an "over reaction", and the benefits they bring to the environment, far outweigh any negatives they may be culpable for.
During the meeting, which followed an afternoon drop-in event, local residents were informed of Defra's plans to plot traps along the river, potentially from as far downstream as Budleigh Salterton and upstream as far as Honiton, this autumn.
The trust also informed the some 100 attendees that the process of trapping and testing is likely to be anything but swift, due to the complicated and invasive testing procedure and the risk that Defra could face a legal challenge to releasing the unlicensed animals back into the wild, meaning they could be in captivity far longer than planned.
The response from the public consultation will contribute to the trust's application to Natural England for a license to study the animals over five years to assess their impact on the environment including fish stocks and flooding.
The trust's Steve Hussey, said: "There was overwhelming support for the beaver population – we can only hope that Defra will listen. Very little is known about the beavers, for example if they are European or Canadian. A controlled study would mean Defra, the trust and the local community can make an informed decision about their long term impact on the English landscape."
Independent ward member for Ottery St Mary, Councillor Claire Wright, added: "The most important thing to remember is that beavers are a native species and they will live in harmony, and enhance, the natural environment and biodiversity.
"The chances of them having this disease is so remote, this is a completely over the top, irrational reaction."
