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Beavers: Cornwall

Asked by Anna GelderdLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 28 March 2025UIN 38817

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making Cornwall a priority location for a wild beaver release.

Answered by Mary Creagh

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way. Any wild beaver reintroductions in Cornwall must therefore meet the criteria.

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