Beaver in Sweden

The beaver was extirpated from Sweden in the 1870`s
Eric Festin
A beaver pair on their way to Bjurälven , 1922
Re-introduction sites
1922-1939
19 sites
A total of ca 80
Norwegian
beavers
130 000?
ANTAL
N
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
1920
1940
1960
ÅR
YEAR
1980
2000
Approximate beaver range
Sweden
Stockholm
-Hunting rights belong to the landowner
-Leasing of hunting rights is common
*Open hunting season without bag limit
*Rifle hunting is the ”only” method allowed
*Killing traps (Conibear) may, under certain conditions,
be used to remove nuisance beavers.
*The main reason for hunting are
1. recreation
2. prevention of damage
Hunting season
Oct. 1 – May 15
(day and night)
Oct.1 – May 10
Hunting season
More than 90% are shot
after ice break-up
(April and May)
Oct. 1 – May 15
Oct.1 – May 10
Annual harvest of beaver in Sweden
10000
ca 8300, hunting season 2010/2011
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
Beaver hunting allowed
in the whole country 2001
3000
2000
1000
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Source: The Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management, Wildlife Monitoring
2015
0,09
Numbers of beaver shot
per 1000 ha
2010-11
0,24
0,42
0,21
0,44
0,88
0,22
0,04
0,62
0,12
0,44
0,19
0,04
0,39
0,0
0,0 0,0
Beaver dam built in road culvert
There is no economical compensation for damage
caused by beavers
Landowners may destroy beaver dams (not lodges),
without special permission, from May 1 to Aug. 31
Current and planned research at SLU, Uppsala
Quantification of beaver made landscape elements (dams, beaver meadows)
Landscape change i relation to beaver population development
Effects of beaver dams on
- biological diversity
- fish communities
- water chemistry
- methylation of mercury
- biological activity
Standard aerial photograph
of beaversystem
Skala 1:1250
Resolution 50 cm
Unmanned aircraft system orthomosaic delineated beaver dam (3,8 ha)
Scale 1:1250
Resolution 5 cm
Dead wood in beaver dams Snags and logs
682 logs with a total length of 3119 m
802 snags
Scale 1:1250