RSPB Intention to apply for Licence to Translocate Beavers to RSPB Loch Lomond Reserve

Regarding recent verry limited public notification that has been released by the RSPB concerning their intention to apply for a licence to translocate Beavers to their Loch Lomond Reserve then please note the following.

The L.L.A.I.A Committee are very much aware of the intentions of the RSPB to translocate Beavers from the Tay District down to their reserve on the Lower Endrick.

Information from the RSPB has not been provided in any formal manner or media to those landowners and other local stakeholders including the L.L.A.I.A.

We only were notified of this proposal via a concerned local resident who had seen the detail on the RSPB website.

In total to date there have been three public information meetings which anybody could have attended had ‘they happened to see‘ the advert, the first had already happened by the time we found out.  The second was online on the evening of the 12th July at which the Committee had a representative attend and ask questions. Unfortunately the format of the meeting was such that the RSPB spoke, people asked questions online and no direct questions were answered.

The third and latest meeting was held in person last Thursday 21st at which four committee members were present along with other local landowners and members of the public, we were able to ask a number of important questions.

At this moment it is the RSPB’s intent to make an application to the appropriate Government authority to ask for a licence to translocate beavers. Until this happens there is little we can do formally at this time. IN the meantime we are working with landowners and other key stakeholders with the intent to collectively present formal objections should an application be made. The Atlantic Salmon and Lamprey species in the Endrick are protected by SAC status so amongst other things we will be looking at leveraging the current legal protection to ensure our fish and their habitat are protected.

When we have more specific information to share we will communicate with our membership including the part that they may be able to play. Our website can be seen by any person with internet access, including the RSPB, so we for obvious reasons will not be detailing our detailed intentions in the public domain.

If you feel you have specific skills to help us on this then please get in touch with us.

Thank You