Hill farmers and crofters risk entering the 2026 lambing season without vital protection unless funding for the Sea Eagle Management Scheme is confirmed urgently, NFU Scotland has warned.
The union has urged the Scottish government to provide immediate clarity on continued support for the scheme, saying uncertainty is already affecting planning decisions on some of the most vulnerable hill and upland sheep farms.
Although lambing is still months away, NFU Scotland said farmers are making key decisions now on flock management, grazing and staffing.
Sea eagle predation continues to cause serious problems on hill farms, with lambs taken, breeding ewes attacked and flock behaviour disrupted at a time when animals are particularly vulnerable.
NFU Scotland said the lack of confirmed funding for monitoring, mitigation and financial support is undermining confidence among businesses trying to manage the impacts of protected species.
Union representatives recently met with Argyll hill farmer David Colthart and NatureScot staff, where they heard directly how uncertainty over the scheme is affecting farms and crofts on the ground.
NFU Scotland said farmers, crofters and NatureScot officers all stressed that early clarity is essential if businesses are to plan effectively.
Alongside sea eagle impacts, the union warned that geese continue to place heavy pressure on grazing land, compounding difficulties during a critical period for livestock management.
NFU Scotland is calling for a review of the current goose management scheme and for increased funding to be confirmed alongside sea eagle support, ensuring NatureScot has the resources needed to protect grazing and livestock.
The union's vice-president Duncan Macalister said: “Although farmers and crofters are a few months away from lambing, they are making decisions right now about flock management, grazing plans and staffing. Without a commitment to continued funding, they are being asked to plan blind.”
He warned that continued delays could have serious consequences. “If funding is not confirmed imminently, the uncertainty will undermine animal welfare, business planning and the viability of some of our most fragile upland communities,” he said.
Macalister said the government had already acknowledged the scale of the challenge posed by both sea eagles and geese, but stressed that action must now follow. “We now need that recognition backed by action,” he said.
NFU Scotland said late decision-making last year resulted in cashflow and operational difficulties for many businesses involved in the scheme, and warned that a repeat in 2026 would put lambing and grazing plans, investment decisions and staffing at risk.
It also cautioned that ongoing uncertainty could erode confidence among farmers attempting to coexist with conflict species and undermine trust in government-led mitigation schemes.
Macalister said farmers and crofters were keen to work constructively with both the Scottish government and NatureScot, but said timing was critical.
“Farmers and crofters want to work constructively with government and with NatureScot. But they cannot do that if decisions come too late to be useful. We need a commitment, and we need it now,” he said.
