Beavers on the River Otter

Following a release of beavers into the River Otter catchment by unknown parties some years ago, a population of European beavers has been living and breeding on the river. At that time beavers were not a protected species and were only allowed to continue living in the wild under temporary licence. Whilst that licence existed, the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) managed the beavers and undertook the ‘River Otter Beaver Trial’ (ROBT).

The trial set out to establish what impacts a free-living population of beavers might have and was completed in 2020. In August 2020 the Government announced that Devon's beavers could stay, and would be able to spread naturally into other river catchments.

Since the start of the ROBT, committee members of ROFA participated in the trial’s ‘Fisheries Forum’, providing both challenge and expertise. In 2018, ROFA hosted a workshop reviewing the trial’s research into the impact of beaver activity on fish. This workshop was attended by experts from: Devon Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Southwest Rivers Association, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust, and the Universities of Exeter and Southampton.

ROFA will continue to be closely engaged with these and other agencies on the subject, to continue to monitor the ongoing impacts on salmonid and other fish species, both beneficial and adverse, on the Otter and for the benefit of wider understanding of the implications for fisheries management.

From ROFA’s perspective, beavers raise a number of specific issues related to fish and fishing, including:

Assessing the benefits for fish in terms of habitat improvement and water quality/hydrology etc).
The effects of beaver dams on migratory and non-migratory fish passage, especially movement to and from important spawning areas.
Safety issues for anglers from the presence of beavers in the river (see this advice).