Sea Eagle introduction dropped in East anglia

[Hobjob]

Was a report about this yesterday in the East Anglian Daily Times which suggested that the farmer opposition was the real problem and implied that RSPB might continue without Natural England partner.

The Independent puts a lsightly different slant on it

Scheme to return sea eagles to Suffolk falls victim to budget cuts - Nature, Environment - The Independent.

Of course it may still happen naturally.

[The Woodman]

A similar slant to Wildlife Extra

Wildlife Extra News - Natural England withdraws funding from white-tailed eagle reintroduction project

Buget cuts are having a serious impact on Statutory bodies, the EA are losing 4000 jobs over the next couple of years and as an example of how serious it is, I was called by the NE volunteer co-ordinator last week to check if I really needed the items in my PPE request - two pairs of latex gloves, two dust masks and a pair of safety boots. The last lot of PPE lasted me at least ten years.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Not surprised it was so opposed, not least by the farming community. Many conservation bodies have been quite vocal against it as well. Sometimes I wish the RSPB wasn't so species focussed (what has happened to all those Cirl Buntings they dumped in Cornwall) and pumped more into habitat management and reserve purchases.

Cheers,

Adam

[Gill Catton]

Yeah it is budget cuts. The purse strings are very definitely being pulled tighter within NE. Personally I'm not too saddened by this as I think money should go to habitat conservation rather than single species stuff.

However, perhaps a bigger worry is that the cuts have the potential to affect beneficial habitat management too in the form of fewer grants to farmers that have previously been used to encourage a little bits of active farmland to be managed for wildlife (hedges, field edges/ corners skylark plots etc).

Scary times ahead.