Sadiq Khan plans to bring otters, eels and beavers back to London's rivers

Plans to reintroduce a variety of wildlife to the capital including eels, otters and beavers have been outlined by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The initiative comes as part of a wider scheme to improve the quality of rivers in London.

It comes as the Mayor announces £7.15 million of funding from City Hall and Transport for London to prevent road runoff pollution from entering waterways and killing aquatic life. The sum also aims to encourage large scale rewilding and provide funding from the Green Roots Fund for community groups and charities to deliver nature projects along waterways.

The project hopes to bring a 'nature revival' to the capital to restore beavers, water voles, eels, otters and other animals to London. It follows the successful reintroduction of beavers to Ealing and Enfield in recent years alongside a water vole reintroduction site on the Hogsmill River, led by the South East Rivers Trust.

Thames Water has also announced £1.8 billion of funding towards improving river health in the capital across the next five years, including tackling sewage outflows in the Wandle, Lee and Brent. Other bodies involved in the project include the Environment Agency, Ofwat and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

David Mooney, CEO of London Wildlife Trust, said: "London Wildlife Trust is proud to stand alongside the Mayor in a coalition dedicated to improving London's waterways."

He added: "For too long, our rivers have been treated like open sewers, and this roundtable presents a crucial opportunity to change that. With an initial commitment of over £800,000, we will be working closely with the Mayor over the next three years to support nature’s recovery along our precious waterways."

The plans also come as the Mayor pushes for more opportunities to swim outdoors in the capital. City Hall documents from January stated that many of the 41 rivers in London are polluted, according to the Rivers Trust.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London previously told MyLondon: "The Thames and its tributaries are the lifeblood of London, which the Mayor is committed to cleaning up and protecting so that all Londoners can safely enjoy the benefits of nature – including swimming where safe to do so."

Have a story you want to share? Email joseph.coughlan@reachplc.com.

Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.