Letter to national papers written by Alexander & Polly Hamilton, Knapdale residents

The Editor,
cc. The Scotsman, The Herald, Scotland on Sunday, The Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, Oban Times, Argyllshire Advertiser, The Times, Scottish Field, Country Life, FWAG (Lucy Sumsion).

Dear Sir,

On Friday 19th October I attended a risible presentation at Cairnbaan near Lochgilphead, Argyll, by SWT & the RZSS about the introduction of beaver into Scotland and specifically into North Knapdale. The event was time limited by themselves, so it was evident that they were indulging in a box ticking exercise for the Executive and weren’t really interested in the concerns expressed by those attending. It is an emotive and contentious issue in the locality and it behoved them to deal honestly and openly with those concerns. Sadly almost the same half truths, evasions and prevarications that so sullied the SNH exercise were trotted out yet again only this time with the Chairman of the event chanting “European Directive” as though it were a divine revelation. There were people who arrived pro-beaver, but because of the failure of the panel to answer properly, felt there must be something to hide and so left anti-beaver.

The Cavalier fashion in which the two bodies are going about this exercise mirrors almost exactly that of SNH who also didn’t care about the legitimate concerns of those opposed to them. In 2003 when asked about damage to the microcosm, SNH said they didn’t know anything about it and didn’t think it would matter - Friday’s meeting evaded the issue completely. Neither SWT nor RZSS have done an audit of the existing flora and fauna, nor did SNH, so they have no idea what will cease to exist as a consequence of their actions. Their suggestions as to the new species that might benefit from the inevitable habitat destruction are limited to a dragonfly or a demoiselle.

SNH spent thousands of pounds of Public Money on their failed bid, apparently finding nothing morally ambiguous about being advisors to the government and promoters of the scheme. The same shabby set of ethics and morals appears to be alive and well in their successors, who, as charities, say they are not using public money. I wonder where they think it comes from? I do hope that people who support SWT will realise that they will be funding the wholesale destruction of an existing habitat by a now-alien species, and stop subscribing.

The landscape of North Knapdale has evolved through time without benefit of beaver. It is rich in all forms of wildlife, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds insects, fish, fungi and flowers, many of which are rare and protected. But it is not without its problems: mink have devastated seabird colonies; as a result of habitat destruction by SNH the red squirrel is having a hard time; and that most iconic of Scottish animals, the wild cat, is on the edge of viability. It is astonishing that neither SWT nor SNH appear to be concerned about any of this. The Gadarene rush to be the first to introduce beavers into the wild seems to have driven any sense of responsibility or obligation to existing species and problems out of their minds.

Mike Russell has already said he’s minded to grant the licence. As a former journalist one would have expected a more rigorous questioning of the proposal instead of conniving with SNH, who are now in Brussels trying to get the legislation reinterpreted to give them carte blanche to do as they please. For fairness’ sake the Minister should provide funds so that those opposed to the introduction can call upon the equivalent expertise, with the same funding, the same time scale and the same opportunities to present their case, and then set up an independent review to assess both arguments impartially.
There may well be an argument for introducing Beaver where their evident terraforming abilities would be of benefit, but that is not North Knapdale, where a balanced eco system is working very well, endangered only by SNH SWT & the RZSS.

Yours faithfully,

Alexander Hamilton