Dam Busters

Just as Her Majesty's Government's one-size-fits-all solution to economic problems is to sack people, so its solution to ecological problems is to kill animals; the main point of contention being how many of Her Majesty's less deserving subjects fall into the second category rather than the first. Since the presence of beavers tends to enhance biodiversity and conserve water, the Government has declared open season after previously declaring the animals a native and therefore protected species. The National Farmers' Union which, being a union, the Government did not trouble to consult over the matter, raised concerns about control and demanded, of all things, a clear management plan, as if successful farming required anything more than graft, gumption and good British soil. Whether Her Majesty's Government intends allowing beavers to be hunted in a civilised British way, with hounds and horses and commercial export of their pelts along with all that cheese, remains as yet unclear.