Seòmar agus comataidhean

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Petition PE1815 Translocate Protected Beavers to Reduce Licensed Killing - Scottish Government

Letter from the Convener to the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity of 20 December 2021

Dear Minister,

At its meeting on 30 November, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee considered the above petition.

The Committee agreed to request further information from the Scottish Government and NatureScot in light of both the court judgement on 21 October 2021 and the Scottish Government announcement on 24 November 2021 regarding the protection of Scotland’s beaver population.

The Committee would welcome clarification on whether the budget in place currently is adequate for the translocation of beavers and whether any additional budgetary requirements will be imposed as a result of this new policy area. The Committee would also welcome a breakdown of how budgets are allocated in this area.

The Committee would welcome your views on the court ruling and its outcomes, including:

• What is your interpretation of the recent judicial review ruling in relation to how translocation of beavers should be prioritised versus licensed culling?
• What implications does the ruling have, in your view, more broadly for species licensing and the management of European Protected Species in Scotland?

The Official Report for this meeting is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

The Committee would appreciate a response by 21 January 2022.