Farmers urge SNH to help tackle ‘ sea eagle predators’

● Documents show birds prey on healthy lambs

Farmers yesterday welcomed what they say is an “admission” from Scotland’s leading conser vation body that white- tailed sea eagles prey on healthy lambs and sheep.

Scotland’s population of the giant birds of prey, which have wingspans of nearly 7ft, is said to be growing “exponentially” since a series of highly successful interventions by conser vation bodies including RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage and could reach nearly 1,000 breeding pairs within 20 years.

Yesterday SNH published a series of documents on the management of the birds.

Farmers’ organisation NFU Scotland said the documents recognise t hat, since t heir reintroduction, there has been a growing impact of the birds on sheep flocks in the west coast with many farmers and crofters experiencing “significant losses” to sea eagles, particularly in areas where there is a lack of alternative prey for the birds.

According to the documents, one farm in the west of Scotland monitored by SNH suffered the loss of an extra 181 lambs between 2012- 18.

P o s t - mo r t e m e x a mi n a - tion of a ver y small sample of lambs killed by the eagles also found most to have been fit and healthy when attacked, rather than dead or unviable l ambs, as s ome originally believed.

The S NH’S White - Tai l e d Eagle Action Plan was produced by a stakeholder group f o l l o wi n g a n a g r e e me n t between SNH and NFU Scotland in 2014 to work together to find ways of limiting adverse impacts of white- tailed eagles whilst developing the right conditions for the sustainable co- existence between sea eagles and sheep farming.

Depending on a range of factors, the sea eagle population is predicted to continue to expand exponentially in the short term from its current level of 130 breeding pairs to several hundreds more over the next 20 years. Figures on breeding pairs doesn’t include the potential for a much larger number of juvenile birds, as adult sea eagles only start to pair when they are around five or six years old.

NFU Scotland has now called for assurances that the current work of farmers, crofters, and SNH to tackle predation are enhanced.

NFUS president Andrew Mccornick said: “We thank SNH for the publication of t h e s e d o c u ment s , whi c h clearly recognise that the diet of white tailed eagles, in some locations, includes healthy sheep and lambs.”