§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department was first informed of the situation of the Norwegian beavers involved in the Ham Fen Beaver Project. [44766]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 21 March 2002]:I understand that Kent Wildlife Trust contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 January 2001 to notify them of the possible importation of beavers for conservation purposes.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), which had responsibility for controls on non-native species was not contacted. The DETR became aware of the situation on 1 May 2001, following the beavers' arrival at Heathrow Airport on 30 April.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the Ham Fen beavers have been held in quarantine for 11 months. [44768]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 21 March 2002]:The Norwegian beavers, which are not native to the UK and are subject to import, quarantine and release controls, entered the UK on 30 April 2001 and were subject to six months quarantine, which is now complete.
The beavers are also subject to release controls. Kent Wildlife Trust made an application for a licence for permission to release some of the beavers to Ham Fen nature reserve, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This application was received on 10 September 2001. It raises some serious environmental questions. The Department has agreed in principle to issue the licence, with conditions, as soon as possible.