SBAG Scottish Beaver Advisory Group Meeting - 21 August 2025

Welcome and introductions

The meeting followed on from the flood banks workshop in the morning and welcomed one or two members joining for the afternoon session online.

Minutes from the previous meeting

No changes proposed therefore draft minutes from 8 May will become the final version and added to SBAG webpage.

Action points and matters arising

Actions from 22/08/2024

AP6. NatureScot to provide an update regarding fish use at current water gates. A summary of the numbers of fish was shared at the meeting on 8/5/25 and a full report will be shared when further analysis if carried out including the data from 2025.  Ongoing.

Actions from 27/2/25

AP2. Comms subgroup to consider developing a pack (similar to those sent around by CNPA) that could be used in areas where beavers are expanding naturally and have not been subject to public engagement. Noting there are existing resources that could be utilised (Beaver Trust and CNPA). This had been tasked to the communications subgroup to take forward. Sub-group chair noted this would require staff/ budgetary resources to take forward. It was asked if any members had capacity to take this forward and RSPB Scotland offered to see if they might and report back to the group. Carried forward.

Discussion that there are different audiences; land managers and communities. CNPA volunteered to help with training for Local Authorities. 

Actions from 8/5/25

AP1. NatureScot to look to collate datasets to identify key sensitivities such as Salmon, lichen and where the high-risk areas are located, whilst also exploring areas where the risks are lower. Ongoing. Discussions have been ongoing with British Lichen Society about getting access to their data which might help inform sensitivity/ locations for monitoring. Some initial mapping using Marine Scotland salmon distribution data and beaver dam capacity mapping has been carried out. 

Sub-group updates

Beaver Trust shared a brief update on behalf of the Chair of the Mitigation and Management sub-Group; noting the recommendations from the workshop on riparian woodland is now on the SBAG webpage. The notes from the workshop on agricultural issues is being written up. A range of benefits and challenges had been shared by the farmers attending. Plans for the next meeting are to hold a joint meeting with the Fish and Fisheries sub-group.

The Comms sub-group noted they had not met recently.

New AP 1. Chairs of the Research and Innovation and Fish and Fisheries sub-groups to be asked for a written summaries to share with the group.

Translocation updates

CNPA provided a brief update that release sites are being finalised for the upcoming season, that would take the CNPA to the 15 family groups included on the original release licence. Monitoring has highlighted breeding success this year and continues to track beaver occupancy and impact.

It was noted that a decision on the Beauly catchment beaver translocation applications was expected shortly. (And announced the following day.

It was mentioned that NatureScot would be announcing a call for interest in beaver release to new catchments to gather information on the spatial distribution of interest with a view to bringing interested organisations and individuals together to develop broad strategic plans for beavers at a catchment scale. 

AOB

Reporting

It was asked about the timing of the NatureScot Beaver Management Report, which was due to be published the following week (and has since been published. 

The Chair noted the intention to produce an annual SBAG summary of progress in the same way as last year.

It was asked what reference is being made to the strategy actions in the Implementation Plan? It was again noted there are 88 actions which are not all expressed in a way that easily allows progress to be reported, e.g. where they are ongoing requirements to be aware of innovation in mitigation approaches. It was noted that responsibility for a sub-set of actions had been devolved to the sub-groups, but again the reporting back on these was perhaps not working as intended.

It was suggested it would still be helpful to review progress and set priorities for the coming year.

Agreed the next online meeting in November would revisit the strategy actions and where changes may need to be made to allow the strategy progress to be reported.

New AP 2. NatureScot to recirculate the strategy actions for discussion at the next meeting in November.

Accredited controller training and App for reporting shot beaver

It was noted a controller training event is being organised for October and anyone interested in attending to contact [email protected]. As discussed at the site visits the previous day, NatureScot have developed a Deer App for recording details of deer shot and at the same time providing a cull/ authorisation return. The App also has facility to record beavers shot and NatureScot are working on a few refinements for beaver before this is rolled out to accredited controllers.