Legal notice.

In accordance with the Federal Act against Unfair Competition (LCD, art. 3 para. 1 let. s) and with the transparency requirements applicable to online services, the BeaverWatch association publishes on this page all the information concerning its publisher, its hosting and the legal framework governing this website.

Last updated: 25 April 2026

Site publisher

This website, accessible at www.beaverwatch.ch, is published and operated by the BeaverWatch association, a non-profit association under Swiss law.

Name
Association BeaverWatch
Registered office
Route de Pierre-Ozaire 24, 1073 Savigny (VD), Switzerland
Business identification no. (IDE)
CHE-257.441.319
Phone
+41 79 559 85 57
Email
info@beaverwatch.ch
Website
www.beaverwatch.ch

Legal status

BeaverWatch is constituted as an association within the meaning of articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code CC art. 60–79. It pursues a non-commercial purpose in the public interest: specialist monitoring, advice and intervention concerning the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) in Switzerland, in particular in the canton of Vaud and the neighbouring cantons. Its work falls within the framework set by the federal legislation on hunting and on the protection of nature, as well as by the Plan Castor Suisse (the Swiss beaver management plan) of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN, 2016 edition) — see section 03 below.

The association is governed by its articles of association and by the provisions of Swiss law. It pursues no commercial purpose and its resources are allocated in full to carrying out the tasks set out in its articles of association.

Legal framework for intervention

BeaverWatch's activities fall within the framework of Swiss federal law governing the protection and management of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), a protected species and a national priority species. The main applicable legal bases are the following:

  • Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds of 20 June 1986 LChP, RS 922.0 — the basis for the protection of the beaver and for the regime of applicable measures (art. 1, 7, 12 and 13).
  • Hunting Ordinance, in its revised version in force since 1st February 2025 OChP, RS 922.01 — implements in particular art. 9d (measures against beavers), art. 10 (compensation for damage), art. 10g (reasonable prevention measures) and art. 10h (federal contributions for the prevention of damage caused by beavers).
  • Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and the Landscape of 1st July 1966 LPN, RS 451 and its implementing ordinance OPN, RS 451.1 — protect beaver dams and burrows as important components of their habitat (art. 18 LPN; art. 14 OPN).
  • Federal Act on the Protection of Waters LEaux, RS 814.20 and its ordinance OEaux, RS 814.201 — natural functions of water bodies and the space reserved for water bodies ("espace réservé aux eaux") (art. 36a LEaux; art. 41a to 41c OEaux).
  • Plan Castor Suisse, the enforcement aid of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on beaver management in Switzerland (2016 edition) — sets out the respective roles of the Confederation, the cantons, the national beaver working group (Groupe de travail national Castor, GT Castor) and the Service Conseil Castor (Switzerland's national beaver advisory service).

Under this framework, enforcement is primarily a matter for the cantons, under the supervision of the FOEN (art. 25 para. 1 LChP; art. 18 para. 1 OChP). BeaverWatch acts as a technical and operational partner of the Direction générale de l'environnement (DGE-BIODIV) and, where applicable, of the other competent cantonal and federal authorities. Any intervention measure concerning beavers, their dams or their burrows falls within the exclusive competence of the authorised authorities and requires a prior formal decision within the meaning of the provisions cited above.

The content published on this site (maps, technical notes, information on prevention measures) is provided for information purposes only and cannot replace official decisions, authorisations or directives issued by the competent authorities.

Representation

In accordance with art. 69 CC, the association is represented by its committee. Editorial responsibility for this website lies with:

Person in charge
Pierre-Alain Marro, President
Email
pa.marro@beaverwatch.ch

Hosting

The site is hosted by a technical service provider whose infrastructure is located in Switzerland or in the European Economic Area. Full details of the host can be obtained on written request to info@beaverwatch.ch.

Intellectual property

All the elements appearing on this site — texts, photographs, illustrations, logo, visual identity, observation database, maps — are protected by the Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights LDA, RS 231.1. Unless expressly stated otherwise, these elements are the exclusive property of the BeaverWatch association or of their respective authors.

Any reproduction, representation, modification, publication, adaptation or exploitation of all or part of the elements of the site, by any means whatsoever, is prohibited without the prior written authorisation of the association. Quotation for scientific or educational purposes is permitted to the extent provided for by art. 25 LDA, subject to the source being cited.

The logo, like the other graphic elements of the site, remains protected by the LDA (see above); the name of the association, for its part, enjoys the protection afforded to the names of legal entities art. 29 CC.

Third-party trademarks and logos mentioned on this site (manufacturers, partner associations) remain the property of their respective owners.

Limitation of liability

The BeaverWatch association endeavours to ensure that the information published on this site is accurate and up to date. It cannot, however, guarantee that the content is free of errors, omissions or inaccuracies, in particular as regards field data, maps or information originating from third-party authorities.

To the fullest extent permitted by Swiss law, BeaverWatch declines all liability for direct, indirect or consequential damage resulting from access to the site, from its use, from the impossibility of accessing it or from reliance on its content. The information published in no way replaces professional advice or direct consultation of the competent authorities.

External links

The site may contain links to third-party sites (cantonal services, partner institutions, scientific resources). The association exercises no control over the content of these external sites and assumes no responsibility for their content, their availability or their data protection policy. Users visit these sites at their own risk.

Applicable law and place of jurisdiction

This legal notice, as well as any legal relationship arising from the use of the site, is governed exclusively by Swiss law. Subject to mandatory provisions, the exclusive place of jurisdiction is the registered office of the association, in Savigny (VD).