Morvern hydro project poses threat to native wildcats
The statements made to the Lochaber Times recently by spokespersons for Wildgenes Lab and the Woodland Trust about Scottish wildcats are as confusing as they are astonishing (Highland ‘tiger’ may now be extinct in wild, December 27).
Confusing because these groups suggest all cats in the wild are probably hybrids. Astonishing because Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Wildcat Action care to ignore their existence in an area which the Scottish Government says is one of the last few wildcat strongholds in the UK. Why? Because their presence may halt or delay a non-essential development.
The Highland Council Planning Committee has an application before it for a large hydro electric project on Forestry Commission land in west Morvern. This industrialisation of a peaceful haven will involve pipelines, intakes, powerhouse and switchhouse buildings, outfall, compounds, access tracks and a two-mile long overhead power-line linking it to the national grid. Wildcats are present in the glen and have been seen consistently for a number of years. But, as these shy animals have not been photographed by camera traps or caught live for DNA testing, their existence and pedigree is being pushed aside.
The isolated site, which was abandoned when the last resident crofter left more than a half a century ago, comprises ancient woods, dense scrub cover, old buildings and an abundance of small mammals and ground-nesting birds. It is perfect wildcat habitat which, of course, accounts for their presence today.
If there is one place where there are likely to be wildcats with the purest ancestry in Scotland, it is here. The Scottish wildcat is a priority species under the 2007 UK Biodiversity Action Plan. It is protected under UK and European law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and the benefits of green energy are clearly understood. However, they should not be allowed to jeopardise a native and critically endangered animal already on the edge of extinction. The small Morvern peninsula has the highest concentration of renewable schemes in Scotland. This particular development, if approved, risks pushing them over the brink. Iain Thornber, Knock House, Morvern.