Roseanna Cunningham visits White-tailed Eagle monitor farm

NFU Scotland welcomed the opportunity to discuss the management of white-tailed eagles (WTEs) with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for the Environment Roseanna Cunningham.

The Scottish Minister met with Donald and Morag McCorquodale along with Morag’s father Archie Buchanan on the family farm at Achnaba, North Connel.

The invitation to visit came from NFUS member and hill farmer David Colthart, Achnacone, Appin, who chairs the Argyll and Lochaber Sea Eagle Stakeholder Group.  Mr Colthart gave the Cabinet Secretary an update of the work that is being undertaken on the monitor farms locally.

The visit marks the latest steps in NFU Scotland’s efforts to ensure that issues around WTEs are understood and taken seriously.

It follows a recent report from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which recognised that since their reintroduction, there has been a growing impact of the birds on sheep flocks in the west coast, including Skye, with many farmers and crofters experiencing significant losses to WTEs, particularly in areas where there is a lack of alternative prey.   As one of the SNH monitor farms, Achnaba has seen the loss of an extra 181 lambs in the period 2012-2018.  

The Union wants to ensure that the current work of farmers, crofters, SNH and WTE monitor farms to address the issue of predation are enhanced. It believes that as the WTE population grows, the problems for farmers and crofters will only get worse.

Chairman of NFU Scotland’s Environment and Land Use committee, Angus MacFadyen, who has a hill farm at Kilninver near Oban said: “We thank the Cabinet Secretary for visiting Achnaba and hearing first-hand the experience of the Buchanan and McCorquodale families as one of the WTE monitor farms.

“It provided us with a valuable opportunity to highlight the work that is currently going on and ensure that government is sighted on the issues as the WTE stakeholder group, which includes NFU Scotland, moves forward with its work.

“For some of our farming and crofting members on the west coast of Scotland and Skye, predation by white-tailed eagles of healthy lambs and, in some cases, adult sheep, is an unwelcome threat to their future viability.  Not only is there an economic impact, but hill flocks in these areas are vital to managing the landscape and preserving biodiversity and destocking or removal of flocks would see land quickly revert to an ungrazed environment.

“That makes this a very emotive issue for those of our members affected by significant WTE predation on their stock and NFUS is committed through the collaborative approach with Scottish Government, SNH and other stakeholders to identify solutions.

“The valuable work currently being conducted by SNH staff, their contractors and farmers and crofters looking for successful mitigation measures must continue as we endeavour jointly to find solutions to the predation problem.”

Notes to Editors

• A photograph of Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham visiting the White-tailed Eagle Monitor farm at Achnaba is attached.  Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham (left) hears from SNH’s Rae Mackenzie (2nd left) and local White-tailed Eagle management group David Colthart (right).  Hugh Dignon from Scottish Government; NFU Scotland Vice President Martin Kennedy and host farmer Donald McCorquodale listen in.
• The SNH summary report on the white-tailed eagle action plan was recently published and is available at: https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2019-05/National%20Sea%20Eagle%20Action%20Plan%20-%20summary%20of%20progress%20to%20date.pdf
  

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006