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07/01/2009 22:53:37
Horror at sea eagles plan
This is an extract taken from the Ranger magazine. To subscribe call 01484 400666
Free range egg producers and other farmers have reacted in horror at plans by Natural England to introduce sea eagles to Norfolk.
The proposals unveiled by Natural England could result in 15 birds per year introduced to the north Norfolk coast over a five year period. Supporters claim the plan could boost the local economy, but farmers - particularly those with free range poultry and outdoor pigs - fear that the birds would prey on their livestock and have a damaging effect on their businesses.
One free range egg producer - Stuart Agnew - has been particularly outspoken in his opposition to the plan. Stuart, who has 22,000 free range layers on his farm near Fakenham, said, "Either we keep our livestock outdoors, as people want, and we do our best to protect them or we turn the country into a wildlife reserve. You can’t have both."
The NFU has also stated its opposition to the plan. "This is a project which will require significant public funds and which could have a significant adverse impact on existing farmed and natural ecosystems," said NFU senior policy advisor Paul Hammett. Natural England is consulting on the proposals and has confirmed that FWAG has been commissioned to assess the impact they would have on the farming community. There is a suspicion, however, that the plan will still go ahead at the end of the day. "There seems to be a real determination to proceed despite the slim historical evidence that sea eagles ever bred in numbers in Norfolk," said Paul Hammett. A regional NFU spokesman in Norfolk, Brian Finnerty, said, "They have gone on record that they see this as a flagship project. They think it will be a very good thing. Many farmers, including free range egg producers, are very concerned and we will be putting their case as strongly as we can," said Brian.
Natural England says there is public support for the plan. In a recent opinion poll, held in north Norfolk, 91 per cent of 500 who were asked indicated they would like to see a bird like this in Norfolk, it said. Stuart Agnew is not convinced. "I should imagine that 91 per cent of people would also say they would like to see our livestock outdoors. I went to a meeting held by Natural England at Blakeney. They showed a film about sea eagles and it was very well done - almost up to David Attenborough standard - but it was wholly from the perspective of the sea eagle. There was nothing about their effect on livestock or the other bird population," said Stuart, who as well as being a farmer is also a member of the Song Bird Survival Trust, which has been trying to highlight the detrimental effect that increased numbers of birds of prey are having on the song bird population.
The Country Landowners’ Association has also raised objections to Natural England’s plan.
"Our members are worried about the effect the proposed reintroduction will have on their livestock. There have been many reported cases of sea eagles taking young lambs in Scotland where they have been introduced. Our letter to Natural England asks them to explain how they would manage the situation and compensate livestock owners," said CLA president Henry Aubrey-Fletcher.
"The impact of any reintroduction will inevitably be most keenly felt by those who own and manage the land, and it is their views and the implications for their businesses, which need to be given the greatest weight. The CLA is also aware of concerns that there is a realistic possibility that the population, once established, will spread along both the coastline and the main watercourses, and have asked what is being to done to assess the extent of the area likely to be affected?
"There is significant concern about this project such that Natural England risk alienating the very people the organisation needs to implement its policies and ensure it reaches its targets - the farmers and landowners."
He said, "Before any decision on whether sea eagles should be introduced is taken, there needs to be an informed discussion with key stakeholders at national level at which we can look into the issues in the necessary detail. All the ecological, social and environmental considerations have to be reflected on. An independent scientific assessment needs to be carried out and made public.
Ranger recently highlighted the increased number of attacks on free range flocks by buzzards. Sea Eagles, which died out in England in the mid-19th Century, are much bigger. They have a wingspan of up to three metres (nine feet), can weigh about seven kg (15.4lb) and have been nicknamed flying barn doors. They have already been introduced to parts of Scotland, and crofters in the Scottish Highlands say they have lost more than 200 lambs this year since the second batch of sea eagles was released. Farmers in Norfolk fear similar attacks on livestock will happen there.
"I must admit I didn’t know anything about sea eagles when I first heard about the proposals," said Stuart Agnew. "I spoke to Natural England and asked about their territories. I asked, ’ What does a pair want.’ I was told something like six kilometres in all directions. As numbers increase they will come inland and you cannot blame the sea eagle for wanting easy food, can you.
"Free range chickens are very vulnerable to overhead threats. I realised just how vulnerable when I started having problems with herring gulls. They were swooping down on the chickens and stabbing them to death with their beaks.
"When I went to the Natural England meeting at Blakeney, they were telling me that no-one would be out of pocket because there would be compensation. But the compensation will be inadequate. You might get compensation for birds that are killed but you won’t get compensation for misshapen eggs or reduced yields because of the panic caused amongst the chickens. The compensation will not be adequate and we will have to get involved in all sorts of form filling and red tape to get it. How time consuming will that be? It is not what we want."
Natural England insists that the consultation process will be meaningful. Its chief scientist, Tom Tew, said, "Before attempting to return a species that has been lost for so long, it is important to understand its potential effect on both wildlife and people. We are consulting widely in order to make a fully informed judgement as to whether, through this ambitious project, there is an opportunity to return one of the UK’s rarest and most spectacular birds to England."
Rob Lucking, RSPB area manager for the Wash and North Norfolk, said, "The sight of birds of prey like the white-tailed eagle is a sure sign of a strong and healthy environment. Without them our ecosystem is disfigured, our natural and cultural heritage diminished and we are all the poorer.
"England has been without these magnificent birds for too long. Such a reintroduction must be done properly and with due regard to the people and wildlife nearby but, if it can be done, then the sight of eagles soaring over Norfolk would give a huge lift to people’s spirits and to the local economy."
The NFU is telling Natural England that the introduction of sea eagles will result in farming losses through eagles taking livestock and through reduced performance as a result of the stress caused to livestock by eagles hovering above. It says there would also be an impact on farming from any exclusion zone created around the sea eagles - particularly during the breeding season - and there would also be an impact on farm biodiversity. The plan would conflict with wildlife targets being pursued by farmers under the Environmental Stewardship schemes, which often involved lapwing and grey partridge.
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Free range egg producers and other farmers have reacted in horror at plans by Natural England to introduce sea eagles to Norfolk.
The proposals unveiled by Natural England could result in 15 birds per year introduced to the north Norfolk coast over a five year period. Supporters claim the plan could boost the local economy, but farmers - particularly those with free range poultry and outdoor pigs - fear that the birds would prey on their livestock and have a damaging effect on their businesses.
One free range egg producer - Stuart Agnew - has been particularly outspoken in his opposition to the plan. Stuart, who has 22,000 free range layers on his farm near Fakenham, said, "Either we keep our livestock outdoors, as people want, and we do our best to protect them or we turn the country into a wildlife reserve. You can’t have both."
The NFU has also stated its opposition to the plan. "This is a project which will require significant public funds and which could have a significant adverse impact on existing farmed and natural ecosystems," said NFU senior policy advisor Paul Hammett. Natural England is consulting on the proposals and has confirmed that FWAG has been commissioned to assess the impact they would have on the farming community. There is a suspicion, however, that the plan will still go ahead at the end of the day. "There seems to be a real determination to proceed despite the slim historical evidence that sea eagles ever bred in numbers in Norfolk," said Paul Hammett. A regional NFU spokesman in Norfolk, Brian Finnerty, said, "They have gone on record that they see this as a flagship project. They think it will be a very good thing. Many farmers, including free range egg producers, are very concerned and we will be putting their case as strongly as we can," said Brian.
Natural England says there is public support for the plan. In a recent opinion poll, held in north Norfolk, 91 per cent of 500 who were asked indicated they would like to see a bird like this in Norfolk, it said. Stuart Agnew is not convinced. "I should imagine that 91 per cent of people would also say they would like to see our livestock outdoors. I went to a meeting held by Natural England at Blakeney. They showed a film about sea eagles and it was very well done - almost up to David Attenborough standard - but it was wholly from the perspective of the sea eagle. There was nothing about their effect on livestock or the other bird population," said Stuart, who as well as being a farmer is also a member of the Song Bird Survival Trust, which has been trying to highlight the detrimental effect that increased numbers of birds of prey are having on the song bird population.
The Country Landowners’ Association has also raised objections to Natural England’s plan.
"Our members are worried about the effect the proposed reintroduction will have on their livestock. There have been many reported cases of sea eagles taking young lambs in Scotland where they have been introduced. Our letter to Natural England asks them to explain how they would manage the situation and compensate livestock owners," said CLA president Henry Aubrey-Fletcher.
"The impact of any reintroduction will inevitably be most keenly felt by those who own and manage the land, and it is their views and the implications for their businesses, which need to be given the greatest weight. The CLA is also aware of concerns that there is a realistic possibility that the population, once established, will spread along both the coastline and the main watercourses, and have asked what is being to done to assess the extent of the area likely to be affected?
"There is significant concern about this project such that Natural England risk alienating the very people the organisation needs to implement its policies and ensure it reaches its targets - the farmers and landowners."
He said, "Before any decision on whether sea eagles should be introduced is taken, there needs to be an informed discussion with key stakeholders at national level at which we can look into the issues in the necessary detail. All the ecological, social and environmental considerations have to be reflected on. An independent scientific assessment needs to be carried out and made public.
Ranger recently highlighted the increased number of attacks on free range flocks by buzzards. Sea Eagles, which died out in England in the mid-19th Century, are much bigger. They have a wingspan of up to three metres (nine feet), can weigh about seven kg (15.4lb) and have been nicknamed flying barn doors. They have already been introduced to parts of Scotland, and crofters in the Scottish Highlands say they have lost more than 200 lambs this year since the second batch of sea eagles was released. Farmers in Norfolk fear similar attacks on livestock will happen there.
"I must admit I didn’t know anything about sea eagles when I first heard about the proposals," said Stuart Agnew. "I spoke to Natural England and asked about their territories. I asked, ’ What does a pair want.’ I was told something like six kilometres in all directions. As numbers increase they will come inland and you cannot blame the sea eagle for wanting easy food, can you.
"Free range chickens are very vulnerable to overhead threats. I realised just how vulnerable when I started having problems with herring gulls. They were swooping down on the chickens and stabbing them to death with their beaks.
"When I went to the Natural England meeting at Blakeney, they were telling me that no-one would be out of pocket because there would be compensation. But the compensation will be inadequate. You might get compensation for birds that are killed but you won’t get compensation for misshapen eggs or reduced yields because of the panic caused amongst the chickens. The compensation will not be adequate and we will have to get involved in all sorts of form filling and red tape to get it. How time consuming will that be? It is not what we want."
Natural England insists that the consultation process will be meaningful. Its chief scientist, Tom Tew, said, "Before attempting to return a species that has been lost for so long, it is important to understand its potential effect on both wildlife and people. We are consulting widely in order to make a fully informed judgement as to whether, through this ambitious project, there is an opportunity to return one of the UK’s rarest and most spectacular birds to England."
Rob Lucking, RSPB area manager for the Wash and North Norfolk, said, "The sight of birds of prey like the white-tailed eagle is a sure sign of a strong and healthy environment. Without them our ecosystem is disfigured, our natural and cultural heritage diminished and we are all the poorer.
"England has been without these magnificent birds for too long. Such a reintroduction must be done properly and with due regard to the people and wildlife nearby but, if it can be done, then the sight of eagles soaring over Norfolk would give a huge lift to people’s spirits and to the local economy."
The NFU is telling Natural England that the introduction of sea eagles will result in farming losses through eagles taking livestock and through reduced performance as a result of the stress caused to livestock by eagles hovering above. It says there would also be an impact on farming from any exclusion zone created around the sea eagles - particularly during the breeding season - and there would also be an impact on farm biodiversity. The plan would conflict with wildlife targets being pursued by farmers under the Environmental Stewardship schemes, which often involved lapwing and grey partridge.
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