Scots golden eagles 'put at risk of poisoning by move to Ireland'

Published on Wednesday 6 August 2008 22:16

FIFTY of Scotland's golden eagles have been given to Ireland as part of a re-introduction programme, despite claims from campaigners that the creatures have been put at risk of being poisoned.

About ten chicks a year are being given to Ireland in a reintroduction programme, after the species was wiped out there.

The Scottish Gamekeepers' Association (SGA) has called for the project, carried out under a licence from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), to be stopped.

Many of the eagles are taken from areas in Scotland with struggling populations. But more than 20 of the eagles given to Ireland are missing, with five confirmed dead.

Until January, it was legal to use poison baits in Ireland to kill some birds. It is believed at least one golden eagle has been accidentally poisoned.

Last month, a report by SNH highlighted low numbers of golden eagles in many areas of Scotland where they should be thriving – a situation blamed on illegal persecution.

Alex Hogg, chairman of SGA, said it "reeked of double standards" that gamekeepers were blamed for persecuting golden eagles when they are being taken from their nests and given to Ireland.

Yesterday, however, SNH defended the programme, saying chicks were only taken when two were born in one nest, as the younger chick would normally be killed by the elder anyway.

Meanwhile, RSPB Scotland accused the SGA of trying to deflect attention from the true cause of the decline in golden eagle numbers – illegal poisoning.

Mr Hogg said: "Until Ireland can prove they are looking after our eagles better than currently, we should halt this extravagant experiment.

"It is an irony that SNH is exporting precious birds to Ireland to have them exposed to poison at the same time as they are blaming persecution by gamekeepers as the reason why golden eagle numbers here are lower than they should be."

Professor Colin Galbraith, the director of scientific and advisory services at SNH, said

the project was carefully managed and claimed the number of confirmed deaths in Ireland, equivalent to 10 per cent, was quite low. He said it was not unusual for 22 birds to be missing as they were often not seen months, and there were few bird watchers in Ireland to keep track of them.

Prof Galbraith said the project was reviewed annually to decide whether the licence should be continued. And he stressed that overall, the project was proving a success in helping establish golden eagles in Ireland.

Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: "In terms of the overall population of golden eagles in Scotland, the most important issue is the killing of adult birds. This is a spurious attempt to deflect attention from the core issue."