Sea eagles kill 200 lambs, crofters claim

Published on Friday 12 September 2008 22:09

CROFTERS who claim their lambs have been killed by sea eagles released into the wild in Scotland have demanded the birds are captured to avoid any more deaths.

They say the sea eagles – nicknamed "flying barn doors" should be relocated to abandoned sporting estates in remote locations.

And they claim the release of the sea eagles – part of their reintroduction to Scotland – could endanger their livelihoods at a time rural communities are facing severe financial hardship.

Over the past two years, a total of 30 sea eagles have been released on the east coast of Scotland. Between 1993-1998 59 were released on the west.

According to William Fraser, the chairman of Gairloch and Poolewe branch of the Crofting Foundation, an "unprecedented" 200 lambs were killed this season by sea eagles.

The two dozen crofters and a two farmers on the 30-mile long Gairloch peninsula say they lost about 100 lambs last year and about 60 in 2006.

Mr Fraser said crofters had never been canvassed for their views before the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) released the sea eagles and rising costs in rural areas meant the situation had reached crisis point.

"Without consultation or consent as to what these huge birds were going to feed on, they were released onto our land and have taken over 200 lambs this season, together with who knows how many grouse," he said.

"Ground nesting birds like grouse were making a comeback. Now they are disappearing too and SNH and the RSPB just don't want to know. It is soul destroying, and we have written to the National Farmers Union in Fife where the latest batch of sea eagles has been released, warning them what will happen."

But last night, animal conservation organisations refuted the crofters' claims. A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said: "Sea eagle predation is not a major cause of lamb mortality. Claims of this type cannot be used to foment concerns in the east of Scotland, where there is a big difference in sheep husbandry techniques, and far more natural prey for the birds around healthy and productive estuarine habitats. Reintroduction of these birds back into our skies has been one of the greatest conservation success stories of recent years, and has won support from the public and many landowners."

A spokesman for SNH said: "We are aware of these concerns and very surprised at the numbers being talked about. There is no doubt that they will take lambs, but usually dead or weak ones, and we've never heard of it being done on this scale."