On the 1 October 2022 beavers were given legal protection in England, a significant moment for the recovery of this native species.
Beavers are now listed in Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, making it an offence to deliberately capture, injure, kill or disturb beavers, or damage and destroy their breeding sites or resting places without a wildlife management licence from Natural England.
To ensure people can comply with the law while managing beavers, and to promote coexistence, Natural England has developed a licensing regime and guidance for beaver management. This includes the development of three class licences that can be used for managing beavers.
This guidance was published on Gov.uk in September, and the licensing regime is operational from the 1 October.
For more information regarding beaver management, and the associated licensing regime which has been developed, see the following blog post, policy paper and guidance which have been published:
- Beavers are now legally protected in England – the licensing regime explained – Natural England (blog.gov.uk)
- Beavers: protection and management – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Beavers: how to manage them and when you need a licence – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Managing beaver activity and land without a licence – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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