Sea Eagles v crofters' lambs....

[solus]

On the BBC News Scotland (Highlands and Islands) website today:
BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Lamb radio tags 'put off' eagles

A crofters' leader has suggested that radio tags strapped to lambs to help monitor potential predatory activity by sea eagles had warded off the birds.

It is understood none of the 58 lambs tagged for a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)-led project were taken by the UK's biggest raptor.

The scheme was run following crofters' claims that sea eagles were preying on the young animals.

But Willie Fraser said the large tags may have served as a deterrent.

The chairman of the Gairloch branch of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, said lambs that had not been tagged had been found dead in a sea eagle's nest in Melvaig.

Mr Fraser said: "We are under no illusions that eagles are taking lambs.

"The tags themselves were huge big tags strapped to the backs of lambs. I don't think there is anyway an eagle would come near a lamb like that."

Once you've got an idea fixed, don't let the facts change anything....

"Huge big tags"??? Why would the poor ickle lamblets have to carry round giant antique radio tags when small birds can be fitted with perfectly efficient teeny ones? Sorry, I (still) believe most lambs that died would expire as a result of falling over cliffs, dog attacks, generally being weak, sickly animals at birth etc. An Eagle (or any other predator) may well take an already dead creature but as for carrying off live, healthy lambs from close by the udder of an angry, attentive mother ewe.....????? Still, nothing like having a blame-hound in order to obtain loads compensation, is there?

[simon taylor]

Perhaps we should tag Crofter's to see if they are poisoning Raptors, a crime that people are rarely punished for.

[dunlin]

I know the diet of the white tailed eagle/sea eagle consists mainly of fish and carrion but i would be amazed if such a large bird of prey never took the occasional live lamb given its size.
To dismiss or ignore the crofters claims is only going to make them feel aliented. It has got to be more productive to sit down and discuss the problems that the farmers are having with the reintroduction of the eagles.
We dont want to go back to wide spread persecution of these magnificent birds after all the efforts that have gone into getting them re-established in the uk

regards mark...........

[david156]

Originally Posted by dunlin

I know the diet of the white tailed eagle/sea eagle consists mainly of fish and carrion but i would be amazed if such a large bird of prey never took the occasional live lamb given its size.
To dismiss or ignore the crofters claims is only going to make them feel aliented. It has got to be more productive to sit down and discuss the problems that the farmers are having with the reintroduction of the eagles.
We dont want to go back to wide spread persecution of these magnificent birds after all the efforts that have gone into getting them re-established in the uk

regards mark...........

Totally agree with you mark. Don't know what the costs of reintroducing these eagles has been but compensating the crofters must be cost affective against having to start again if the current birds are persecuted!

[Madelinew]

Originally Posted by dunlin

I know the diet of the white tailed eagle/sea eagle consists mainly of fish and carrion but i would be amazed if such a large bird of prey never took the occasional live lamb given its size.
To dismiss or ignore the crofters claims is only going to make them feel aliented. It has got to be more productive to sit down and discuss the problems that the farmers are having with the reintroduction of the eagles.
We dont want to go back to wide spread persecution of these magnificent birds after all the efforts that have gone into getting them re-established in the uk

regards mark...........

I agree with you. Either side could make an argument fit their own cause and I don't doubt that Sea Eagles will occasionally take a lamb. We have to ask ourselves very carefully the true benefits of reintroducing species and accept there can be a cost to someone. There has been an enormous increase in raptors in the UK recently including buzzards and kites and these will have an impact. I can see a backlash against these soon. I love to see them but people such as the crofters also have to live. If I was a crofter blanketed under the accusation of poisoning birds of prey just because I'd suggested my lambs might be being taken, you'd be losing my support entirely. It's expensive to raise sheep and small farmers get an increasingly raw deal today.

[JeffH]

I totally agree with the last 3 posts. Dismissing the crofters claims out of hand will get us nowhere.

Anyone who doubts that some Sea Eagles will take some lambs in some areas should remember that studies on Mull proved that it does happen.

To quote from a recent Scottish Natural Heritage publication:-

“Sheep farmers (on Mull) raised concerns about sea eagles taking
lambs and, although it’s rare, studies confirmed that eagles
do occasionally take live as well as dead or poorly lambs on
Mull. As a result, SNH launched a management scheme in
2005 to provide land managers with payments to improve
sheep stocks, through sheep health measures such as
tick treatments or extra shepherding. So far, the scheme
has provided £120,000 in payments to the 27 people in
the scheme and it’s seen by many as a successful way of
dealing with a difficult and contentious issue.”

For the full publication see here - http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/SNHMagazi...of_fortune.pdf

Surely this is the way forward on the Gairloch peninsula as well - a small price to pay (12p from each of the RSPB's 1 million members ) for conserving these spectacular birds and winning over the support of local people

Jeff

[richnfamous]

Originally Posted by simon taylor

Perhaps we should tag Crofter's to see if they are poisoning Raptors, a crime that people are rarely punished for.

True. It looks like it's a royal sport to shoot hen harriers too

In the long run a 'relaxed' compensation scheme is probably the way to go, especially if it can be fiddled by the crofters. That way, it's in their interest to have the sea eagles there: when you're short of a bob or two, put in a claim for a dead lamb and Bob's yer uncle!

[Madelinew]

Originally Posted by richnfamous

True. It looks like it's a royal sport to shoot hen harriers too

In the long run a 'relaxed' compensation scheme is probably the way to go, especially if it can be fiddled by the crofters. That way, it's in their interest to have the sea eagles there: when you're short of a bob or two, put in a claim for a dead lamb and Bob's yer uncle!

Sorry folks but please don't tar an entire group of people with the same negative brush. Crofting is a way of life that Scotland strives to preserve and is often not an easy existence. I'm by no means a farmer's champion most of the time but it's a little unfair to target crofters most of whom are probably making a legitimate point about the impact of sea eagles, which were artificially reintroduced, in addition to the hardships of many a crofter's existence.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Madelinew

Sorry folks but please don't tar an entire group of people with the same negative brush. Crofting is a way of life that Scotland strives to preserve and is often not an easy existence. I'm by no means a farmer's champion most of the time but it's a little unfair to target crofters most of whom are probably making a legitimate point about the impact of sea eagles, which were artificially reintroduced, in addition to the hardships of many a crofter's existence.

Well said Madelinew - if all crofters were so dishonest as some seem to think and were inclined to fiddle their claims in the way that richnfamous suggests, surely they'd all have become MPs

Jeff

[rossy]

this goes back a few months ago and as i put it up on here with little response. indeed it would be very very rare the sea eagles would take live lambs. the footage shown was a distance away and showed a sea eagle feeding on a carcass of which you had no way of knowing what it was. question is was whatever the carcass was what killed it or did it die naturally ? funny a few crows were there as well . its a grey area for me but it seems others are quick to put the blame on the sea eagles. i understand the crofters dont have it easy but a little common sense is needed .rossy