Independent inquiry into reintroduction of sea eagles
I found this news article during searching for some information about bird of prey… seem like reintroduction of sea eagles will also get some serious complain from some other group of people…
here is the article (originally from telegraph.co.uk)
Independent inquiry into reintroduction of sea eagles
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 01/10/2008
Conservationists have announce an independent inquiry into the reintroduction of sea eagles into Scotland.
# Sea eagles ‘make sheep farming impossible’
# Paying the price of sea eagles
# Re-introduced sea eagles killing hundreds of lambs in Scotland
During a heated public meeting in Poolewe, Wester Ross, farmers claimed that hundreds of sheep are being killed by the raptors and said that their livelihoods were at stake.
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The birds were reintroduced into the west of Scotland in the 1970s and have been increasing in numbers ever since to around 80 individuals. A further 30 birds were recently reintroduced to the east coast and another 60 could be released over the next three years.
Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, who are responsible for reintroducing the birds to Scotland after almost 100 years, gave presentations to try to reassure the crofters.
The organisations claim sea eagles, that can have a wing span of up eight feet, will only eat a handful of lambs every breeding season.
But it was the local crofters who stood up to give emotional accounts of losing their lambs to “invasive alien species” who got the loudest cheer.
Kenny Mackenzie, 70, who has kept sheep in the area all his life accused conservationists of ignoring the crofters concerns.
“This community cannot stand another year of this beast and I think we should start shooting them this spring,” he said.
Willie Fraser, chairman of the Gairloch branch of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, said 200 lambs have been killed in the area this breeding season, around two-a-day. He said half of the lambs in the area have been taken every breeding season for the last five years when sea eagles settled in the area.
He pointed to a labatory report from a regional vet who believed a 5.4kg lamb was attacked by a sea eagle and described lambs being left with broken necks after being dropped by Britain’s largest bird of prey.
“We have lived with his for over five years and it is a nightmare,” he said.
“We have farmed sheep here for generations but we will see the end of sheep farming in this area if this is not sorted out.”
Alison MacLennan of the RSPB used a 500g bag of sugar to demonstrate the weight of the average daily intake of a sea eagle and brought along the remains found in a nest to show the variety of foods eaten.
She said scientific studies show the birds survive mainly on sea birds and fish and said it would be unheard of for the three nesting pairs in Wester Ross to have eaten 200 lambs in one season.
“Yes birds are taking lambs but they are not taking a lot in comparison to other food stuffs,” she said.
However the crofters insisted sea eagles are killing lambs, “terrorising” adult sheep and are capable of taking domestic cats and dogs.
Fiona Cameron, 26, whose family breed 200 lambs every season said 50 were lost to the sea eagle this year and the family risk going out of business.
Speaking on behalf of her family, she said: “The sea eagle is like a thief in the night attacking our flock. In the past we would have been able to protect our sheep from the thief but if we do anything to the sea eagle we would be jailed or fined. SNH must do something this winter. The sea eagle has ravaged and killed our lambs for over five years.”
She added: “I would like to see sheep farming continue on the west coast but if nothing is done it will not continue.”
Ron Macdonald, head of policy and advice at Scottish Natural Heritage, said if the two sides cannot agree an independent inquiry was needed to establish how many lambs are being killed.
“You are not believing what we are telling you, so we need to draw a line under and have a independent inquiry,” he said.
Crofters welcomed the move but said interim measures were needed to compensate farmers and called for a halt on the further reintroduction of sea eagles until the inquiry is complete.
The National Farmers Union and Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who were also represented at the meeting, voiced concern for lamb stocks and the sea bird population in the long run when the sea eagles become established on the east coast.
They said farmers need to be able to control re-introduced species on managed land once they start killing other protected species or domestic animals.
Jamie McGrigor, the Scottish Tory MSP for the Highlands and Islands, called for compensation or control to be made part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme.
“The sea eagle is a carrion-eating vulture that will eat anything dead or alive,” he said. “This is a situation that must be controlled by the Scottish Government somehow either by allowing control or giving compensation.”
October 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
[...] independent inquiry into reintroduction of sea eagles [...]