Fewer muskrats and beavers in 2021
In 2021, the Noorderzijlvest, Hunze en Aa’s, Drents Overijsselse Delta, and Vechtstromen water boards caught 17% fewer muskrats than in 2020. Total catches fell from 9,160 muskrats in 2020 to 7,591 in 2021.
This means that we are gaining better control over the population. By way of comparison, ten years ago we caught 65,009 muskrats in the northeast of the Netherlands.
Inflow of nutria in Germany
Coypu catches also declined in 2021. In 2021, there were 417 coypus caught, compared to 496 in 2020.
The Netherlands does not have its own coypu population. More than 95% of the catches take place directly along the border with Germany. Due to the mild winters of recent years, the coypu population in Germany has grown significantly, resulting in an increasing influx of coypus into the Netherlands. By catching the coypus directly along the border, we prevent them from spreading throughout the Netherlands as much as possible.
Damage to dikes
Muskrats and coypu are not native to the Netherlands. These animals have no natural enemies here. Muskrats and coypu are caught because they dig tunnels and burrows in dikes and riverbanks. They also build nests with extensive underground tunnel systems. This causes subsidence in dikes and quays. In the worst case, a dike or quay can break and flood a polder.
Reduce to national border
The control of muskrats and coypu is regulated by law in our country. The aim is to keep the population as small as possible so that damage can be managed. In 2019, the water boards decided to reduce the muskrat population to the national border, just as they had done with the coypu. Our goal is to ensure that by 2034, there will no longer be a viable population in the interior of the Netherlands.
| Muskrat catches in 2021 compared to 2020 | Catches 2021 | Catches in 2020 | difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drents Overijsselse Delta Water Authority | 1.742 | 2.686 | -35% |
| Hunze & Aa’s Water Authority | 2.313 | 2.685 | -14% |
| Noorderzijlvest Water Authority | 1.292 | 1.609 | -20% |
| Vechtstromen Water Authority | 2.244 | 2.180 | 3% |
| Total Northeast Netherlands | 7.591 | 9.160 | -17% |
| Coypu catches in 2021 compared to 2020 | Catches 2021 | Catches in 2020 | difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drents Overijsselse Delta Water Authority | 7 | 18 | -61% |
| Hunze & Aa’s Water Authority | 230 | 243 | -5% |
| Vechtstromen Water Authority | 180 | 235 | -23% |
| Total Northeast | 417 | 496 | -16% |
Muskrat management 2012–2021
Muskrats cause damage to dikes by digging tunnels and burrows. The water board wants to keep the dikes safe and sturdy and combats muskrats, which is a legal obligation. We are getting the population under control. Because there are fewer and fewer muskrats in our area, we are catching fewer of them every year. For example, in 2012 we caught 28,126 muskrats, and in 2021 only 1,292. And that's good news, because the fewer muskrats there are, the less damage there is to the dikes and banks.
Annual catch figures
The catch within Noorderzijlvest's working area has fallen by 20 percent compared to 2020. Our goal is to no longer have to catch muskrats by 2033, because the population will then have virtually disappeared.
Muskrat management until 2021
- 2012 number of muskrats caught 28,126
- 2013 number of muskrats caught 23,504
- 2014 number of muskrats caught 17,671
- 2015 number of muskrats caught 15,813
- 2016 number of muskrats caught 14,378
- 2017 number of muskrats caught 6,886
- 2018 number of muskrats caught 4,675
- 2019 number of muskrats caught 2,514
- 2020 number of muskrats caught 1,616
- 2021 number of muskrats caught 1,292