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The experiences of dealing with the beaver populations have not had a bearing on the proposals concerning invasive non-native species. Under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill the release of beavers, or any other former native species, into the wild will require to be licensed and keeping could be regulated if considered appropriate.

Species reintroduction programmes in Scotland are carried out in accordance with best scientific practice and principles as set out in international guidelines, to limit the risk of unforeseen environmental damage and to address the concerns of a wide range of stakeholders. The Scottish Government supports efforts to re-establish beavers in Scotland through a properly constituted reintroduction project involving local consultation and with proper management and monitoring arrangements in place. In the case of the feral beaver populations, these conditions have not been met, and therefore risk undermining the longer term re-introduction project.

Beavers are a former native species which is no longer ordinarily resident in Scotland. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38451 on 19 January 2011 for the justification of the recapture project. No assessment of the potential impact of these animals has been made. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

One beaver has been recaptured in Tayside by Scottish Natural Heritage in December 2010. This beaver has been relocated to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Work is ongoing through the laboratories of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to establish the species and form of the beaver which has been captured but the results of this work are not available yet.

This is a matter for the Crown Estate Commissioners and HIE to respond to.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the Crown Estate Commissioners regarding marine renewables development in these waters as part of our joint chairing of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Delivery Group.

The Scottish Government''s recent consultation paper Securing the Benefits of Scotland''s Next Energy Revolution argued that the Crown Estate Commissioners in Scotland should be more accountable to the people of Scotland and maximise the economic impact from our unique renewables resource. In this particular case, the Scottish Government is fully aware of the decisions taken by the Crown Estate Commissioners. It is not the case that the Crown Estate Commissioners have imposed a moratorium on development activity, but they have indicated that they are taking a cautionary approach at the present time on the award of any additional leases. This approach is driven by the need to gain a greater understanding of key development issues. The Scottish Government supports a marine planning approach which encourages development in the most appropriate locations and minimises cumulative impacts, while not ruling out projects in areas that will not adversely impact on existing leaseholders, or the environment. The Scottish Government would wish the Crown Estate Commissioners to consider all mechanisms and options to enable leases for wave and tidal developments to proceed consistent with the long-term opportunities for the area.

The Crown Estate Commissioners have not sought advice from Marine Scotland on this matter.

Very little is known at present about the ways in which marine renewables developments within a particular zone or region will interact. These are among a range of important issues which the Scottish Government, the Crown Estate Commissioners, technology developers and other key stakeholders are dealing with through the work of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Delivery Group. Future licensing of marine renewables activities will take account of the interaction between those activities and their environment.