Hansard

I thank my friend and colleague Jackie Dunbar for bringing this important debate to the chamber.

In Scotland, rivers, their small tributaries and the lochs and run-offs that feed them are home to thousands of species. When our rivers are healthy, biodiversity thrives; when our rivers are not looked after, the ill effects are many. For example, on the Forth, as Jackie Dunbar mentioned, industry has had a lasting impact. Everything from chemical and agricultural pollution to forestry can put pressure on the river system.

In my constituency, a wide range of local projects are making strides to support river systems and to recover lost biodiversity. Individual landowners, such as Kate Sankey of West Moss-side organic farm, have encouraged riverbanks to renaturalise after years of dredging, which has seen the return of otters, water voles and, most recently, beavers as a result. The Carse of Stirling project is getting schoolchildren involved in learning about species in wetlands. The Forth Rivers Trust is planting trees along the Allan Water to boost habitat and to provide a wildlife corridor and shade for river species. That is increasingly important as greater extremes of weather brought by climate change see hot, dry summers, which dry up bodies of water, lead to increased risk of fire and decimate water-reliant species.

Winters are wetter, with enormous rainfall over short periods bringing flash floods and washing away roads, fields and habitat. If we support our river systems, we can do a great deal to mitigate that. In November 2021, the Bowser family became the first private landlords in Scotland to legally translocate beavers to unenclosed ponds. Fourteen beavers have since been released on Ardoch Burn near Doune. All came from land in Tayside where lethal control licences had been issued. Last week, I was delighted to visit Niall Bowser at his farm to see where the beavers live. What a wonderful job they have done of transforming the local environment. Unfortunately, the beavers were resting, as they had been very busy building dams, chewing logs and engaging in other beaver behaviour, so I did not see them—maybe next time. Niall does small tours at certain times of the year for those who are interested.

Beavers are often known as ecosystem engineers, helping to provide habitat for young fish, food for invertebrates, deep pools for large fish to rest in, and much more. However, as Niall told me, they also have a transformational impact on the wider environment. At Ardoch Burn in previous summers, ponds and streams evaporated, while in winter they flooded. They also flooded the farm steading below. However, since the beavers’ arrival, their dams have meant that the pond has stayed full through one of the driest summers on record, which has kept thousands of water-dependent species alive.

From my work as a nature champion for the rare azure hawker dragonfly, I know just how important it is to ensure that ponds do not dry up. It is extremely heartening to hear about the positive impact that those projects are achieving. Collaborative working by farmers, local organisations and communities, with a holistic approach, can do so much. We must continue to do all that we can to look after our rivers and watercourses and mitigate the impacts of climate change.