Beavers dig tunnels, fell trees and build extensive dams, flooding plots of land. The limit has been reached for dairy farmer Rob Wolters. In the Venbeek behind his farm, a beaver has built two dams, causing the water in the stream to be very high. Poplars are completely felled around a remote plot.
The largest rodent in Europe also digs tunnels, which can cause the ground to subside. “Now that the cows are back in the meadow, I’m afraid they will break a leg,” says Wolters. ‘Of course you can also sink with the tractor.’
It is high time to better manage the population, says the dairy farmer from Vlodrop. ‘Two years ago I was not allowed to install a weir because this is where the dragonfly is located. In the meantime, the beaver builds dam after dam. There are far too many here.’
The limit of what is acceptable was reached years ago
Chrit Wolfhagen, member of the executive board of the Limburg Water Board
Dam back again after a night
If water board employees lower the beaver dams, the animal will rebuild them just as quickly at night, Wolters continues. ‘It doesn’t sound nice, but fighting the beavers seems to me to be the best option in this area.’
Chrit Wolfhagen, member of the executive board of the Limburg Water Board, agrees with the dairy farmer. Employees regularly go out at more than two hundred locations to combat beaver nuisance. The deployment of manpower in 2022 alone resulted in costs of 700,000 euros.
The amount continues to increase. ‘The nuisance is increasing rapidly and the safety of our employees during maintenance work is also at risk. It really is a plague,” claims Wolfhagen.
Rapid spread
The beaver became extinct in the Netherlands at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Since 1988, animals have been released again in several places, such as in the Biesbosch, Gelderse Poort and along the Maas in Limburg. Over the past fifteen years, rodents have spread rapidly in Limburg.
The Beaver Policy of the province of Limburg states that there were between 1,100 and 1,200 beavers in the province at the beginning of 2021. The water board now estimates the number at 2,000 ‘and the maternity period has yet to begin’.
An adult beaver eats 1 kilo of plant material per day. This has been causing damage to arable, vegetable and fruit crops for years. ‘There is a lot of feeding damage in tree and fruit cultivation,’ says LLTB director Theo Coumans. ‘During this period of the year we receive dozens of reports of damage or flooded plots. Because entrepreneurs now have to go into the field for work, they are being significantly hindered.’
Report nuisance damage via Faunafonds BIJ12
Direct beaver damage to the harvest is fully compensated. Farmers can recover this via Faunafonds BIJ12, in which all provinces work together. But indirect damage, such as holes under the land or subsidence of land or buildings, is not compensated. Both LLTB and the Limburg water board call on farmers to report all damage. “Then we will get a good picture of the nuisance and we can ask the province to tighten the policy,” argues water board director Chrit Wolfhagen. The Beaver Policy states that ‘wild animals belong to no one’, which means that private individuals are responsible for combating nuisance. According to LLTB, this cannot be explained to farmers with damage to their plots and machines. According to LLTB director Theo Coumans, dozens of reports have already been received this spring. ‘We call on farmers and gardeners to continue to raise the alarm and to clearly record all damage and nuisance with photos or videos. Also the indirect damage, because this can be greater than the direct damage and must therefore also be eligible for compensation. If no reports of nuisance are received, then little will happen.’
It is the task of the water board to manage the water level, Wolfhagen acknowledges. ‘With this abundance of beavers, this can no longer be done in a responsible manner. The animal can be a friend if it retains water in an area for longer during dry periods, but during wet periods it is our enemy. We also increasingly see cows or horses getting stuck in dug passages. Moreover, we want trees along the water to provide shade. This is really necessary because climate change makes the streams too warm, but beavers tear down the plants again.’
Protected status
The beaver is protected under the Environmental Act. It is not permitted to kill, disturb or disturb beavers without permission. At most, a plot where damage is likely to occur may be closed off with a grid. The option to move beavers is no longer there, because no other province wants extra animals and the designated habitats in Limburg are overcrowded.
In case of persistent nuisance and after taking numerous measures, a beaver can be shot with permission from the province. The number of beavers killed in the province has been rising for years. In the period from October 1, 2022 to May 1, 2023, 101 beavers were captured and killed.
The director of the water board would like to see beaver-free areas in the province and implement more extensive population management. ‘The limit of what is acceptable was reached years ago. It is lazy land for beavers. According to experts, Limburg has a robust population of around five hundred beavers and we agree with that. We should also be concerned if the animals spread further and start digging into dikes or cause more damage to infrastructure.’
LLTB and Limburg Water Board are discussing additional measures with the province. “We would like the intervention procedures to be shortened and at some point we cannot avoid more population management,” says Coumans. ‘We would like to see the animals move to places where they are useful to nature.’
Limburg Fauna Management Unit is working on an amended beaver policy
The Province of Limburg has designated the Limburg Fauna Management Unit (FBE) for the prevention and control of beaver damage. FBE is working on updating the Beaver Fauna Management Plan. It is expected that this will be approved by the Provincial Executive in mid-2024. The province assumes promising areas with a ‘sustainable beaver population of at least five hundred animals’. Outside of this, the government can intervene with a permit. This is done via an escalation ladder: first disrupt and chase away and ultimately capture or kill the animals. A permit is not granted without a fight. The protected status of the beaver must, for example, prevent serious damage to waters, protect wild flora and fauna, public health or public safety. “An owner is responsible for protecting property or grounds against wildlife damage,” a provincial spokesperson said. ‘The Board is examining whether a future permit for beaver management can also be granted after serious damage to other forms of property.’
