Plans approved for relocation of beavers at Loch Lomond reserve despite objections

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The RSPB is pushing ahead with plans to relocate beavers to their Loch Lomond nature reserve in Gartocharn – despite fierce opposition from local residents, farmers and anglers.Last week the charity submitted a licence application to NatureScot to move a family of between two and six beavers to the Bonnie Banks, describing the potential move as “a huge milestone for beavers in Scotland.”They add that they aim to work with the local community to address any concerns.In September, residents in the village claimed the consultation had been too narrow, with 45 joining a public meeting organised by Kilmaronock Community Council - and many outlining their opposition.Local farmers and anglers spoke of their fears after an “eye-opening” trip to Blairgowrie in Perthshire, where they said tunnelling by beavers had caused banks to collapse during higher water months, washing down silt, trees and seeds from invasive plant species.There are also fears of the threat beavers pose to fish in Loch Lomond.At the time, Gartocharn resident Sally Page – a former Conservative councillor – said: “The breadth of the consultation has been very narrow despite the watershed of Loch Lomond being 265 sq miles.Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.“By tunnelling under riverbanks, they cause the banks to collapse, sending sand and silt down the river that chokes-up the spawning beds, thus hampering the breeding of the salmon.“The dams they build stop the salmon from getting upstream to spawn.“They are a threat to flora that is unique to the nature reserve, as beavers are indiscriminate as to what greenery they eat.“Beavers love to chop down trees, how are we going to protect these from the beavers and how much is it going to cost?“