Farmers wild over plan to reintroduce eagles
‘Picture of sea eagle seizing Scottish lamb illustrates madness of returning them to English coast’
‘Why would you introduce an apex predator to the Isle of Wight?
IT IS a rare and remarkable image: an eagle soaring in the air with a helpless lamb dangling from its talons. Soon though, according to fearful farmers, it could be a common sight.
This amateur photograph, taken on the Isle of Mull, sparked a row last night over plans to reintroduce wild sea eagles to England’s south coast.
Farming groups said the picture proved that the giant birds were a threat to livestock, and claimed they could even attack household pets. “These are dangerous predators,” one said. “They shouldn’t be anywhere near people or their animals.”
The photograph was taken by Douglas Currie, while on holiday on the Isle of Mull with his wife. Mr Currie, 74, from Loanhead, Midlothian, said: “We saw this big shape through the sky and my wife thought it was a fish. We then realised it was a lamb and I rattled off a load of shots. The bird was struggling. It’s the most extraordinary sight.”
With a wingspan of up to 8ft and a beak resembling a meat cleaver, sea eagles were once widespread throughout the British Isles but had declined by 90 per cent by the time of the Industrial Revolution. The last bird was shot in 1918.
In the Seventies, however, they were reintroduced in Scotland, and have since flourished. There are 130 breeding pairs, and the population is predicted to soar to 700 pairs by 2040. Their revival has come at a cost, however. Crofters have complained of lambs going missing, and of bloodied carcasses found miles from home. Others have found animals with their eyes pecked out, and limbs ripped off.
According to one report, the sea eagles have even developed a taste for golden eagles, their smaller cousins.
Colin Cameron, 47, who farms 2,500 ewes on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, told The Press and Journal: “One lamb was killed but the other has a hole in its side after a sea eagle tried to take it.
“It is still alive as I had to feed it through a tube three times a day. It is on penicillin to stop any infection, so I can’t let it outside, but generally we don’t find any alive.”
Last year, laser beams were shone on Highland hillsides to scare the birds away, but without much success. The birds will soon be reintroduced to England, after a group of conservationists secured a five-year licence.
Thirty breeding pairs are planned for the Isle of Wight, with the first birds due for release this summer.
But Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said the plan was “madness”.
“This photograph proves our point,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “Why would you introduce an apex predator to the Isle of Wight without any understanding of the consequences?”
A spokesman for Natural England, that granted the application, said evidence suggested that sea eagles do not pose a threat to livestock in “lowland farming areas”. They added: “We have carefully examined the potential risk of lamb predation. However, we will ensure that the applicant puts in place clear routes to identify and manage any unexpected issues that might arise.”