Minister on Mull to hear of sea eagle impacts
NFUS members on Mull hosted Scottish Environment Minister, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, as he carried out a fact-finding mission on the impact that the growing sea eagle population is having on the hill farmers across the west coast.
The Minister visited Donald and Lachlan Macleans’ Knock Farm on Mull yesterday (Monday 8 April). Lachlan Maclean chairs NFU Scotland’s Less Favoured Areas Committee and other Union members from Mull joined him to brief Mr Wheelhouse.
Following their reintroduction, sea eagle numbers have grown steadily with many pairs now resident on Mull. Lambs are part of the birds’ diet and the Union is keen on developing the existing sea eagle scheme that mitigates against the adverse impacts that the birds can have on extensive sheep flocks.
NFUS Mull Branch Chairman, Donald Maclean said:
"On Mull, the Environment Minister got full exposure to how fragile the farming systems of the west coast of Scotland are. He heard about the combined challenges of very extensive hill farming, high and rising input costs, volatile output prices and the consequent impact that losing a proportion of lambs each year to sea eagles can have on a vulnerable farm business.
"He took on board the message that active farming in such remote and disadvantaged areas remains crucial to creating and sustaining landscapes, maintaining wildlife and communities, and underpinning livelihoods. That means we need to develop measures that sustain hill flocks but recognise the impact that predation by growing numbers of sea eagles has.
"The Minister was keen to hear our ideas on how to invest in hill farming to ensure the continuity of livestock systems, wildlife and wider economic benefit. He recognised that the uncertainty over CAP reform, the next rural development plan for Scotland and their funding compounded the financial strain on farm businesses with levels of costs that can not be recovered from the market place.
"He appeared open to the idea of looking further into sea eagle management needs and the better use of limited resources. Most importantly, these must be used to secure a more certain future for those hill farmers who are directly affected by a thriving sea eagle population but do not benefit from the boost to tourism generated by its reintroduction."
