Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
COUNCIL’S NOT NUTS ON GREYS
Authority may order kill to aid red squirrels
A COUNCIL has ordered a report to examine ways of controlling grey squirrels on its properties – including killing them.
The motion by Ards North Down Borough Council also suggested erecting red squirrel and pine marten boxes to promote indigenous species and bolster native woodland trees in parks.
DUP Councillor Peter Martin said a presentation by conservationist Conor Mckinney had “opened up my eyes to the inherent dangers red squirrels are in”.
He added: “The grey squirrels are native Americans and are much tougher than our reds. The difficulty is the greys carry squirrel pox, a nasty virus that kills reds within 14 days, while greys are immune.
“The question is can reds and greys live together with a level of harmony, and the answer is no, they can’t. If we do nothing, the greys will kill all the reds, it’s inevitable.”
The red squirrel population in
Britain and Ireland once stood at 3.5 million but that dropped to just 120,000 since the introduction of greys in the 19th century.
Mr Martin added: “We have to control the greys. What I’ve asked for is a report – officers can work with Ulster Wildlife, and the North Down Squirrel and Pine Marten group, to see what can be put in place.
“We can grant Ulster Wildlife access to council properties to control greys, and when we use the word control, we mean to kill.
“I know that doesn’t sit well with some environmentalists. Some people I know and respect will not kill any creatures.”
Alliance Alderman Andrew Muir, asked for an amendment including the phrase “the potential positive and negative impacts of grey squirrel culling on council land”.
Councillor Martin said the amendment was “too woolly” and insisted he was not asking for a cull.
He added: “Competition from the robust grey squirrel for food and shelter and the infection of the deadly squirrel pox virus is the main factor in the red squirrels decline.
“Without conservation management red squirrels could become extinct within a generation. Time is running out.”