Are Sea eagles coming back to Suffolk? Vote on what you think should happen
27/01/2010 12:48:36
Sea eagle chicks on Mull - A big tourist attraction. Photo credit Forestry Commission.
Sea eagles in England and Wales
January 2010. Sea eagles are fantastic birds, and are the 4th largest eagle in the world. They are known as ‘Flying Barn Doors' due to their huge size (Wingspan up to 2.5 metres) and have provided a boon to tourism on Mull.
White tailed eagles (as they are also known) were re-introduced into western Scotland from 1975, by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), in association with the RSPB. Although the Western Scotland reintroductions have been successful, they have not expanded into new areas very quickly, so a new reintroduction project was launched in Eastern Scotland in 2007. And now Natural England and the RSPB are planning to bring the white tailed Sea eagle back to England, by releasing them in Suffolk. Not everyone is happy with the idea though.
In any debate about conservation, it is always important to discount 10% of the arguments at either end of the range, as some people will support all conservation, no matter what the cost or practicalities, and others would complain about spending 5 Euros to save the last elephant. Somewhere in the middle is a rational debate and, usually, the right answer.
You decided Sea eagles - Let's have them all over the country - Your vote result.
prosHaving these huge birds flying around Suffolk will undoubtedly bring in some tourism revenue. In Mull, which isn't easy to get to, it is estimated the eagles generate £2 million per annum in revenue. A few Sea eagles have spent some time in southern England, with no problems for local farmers and land-owners Having a new population of sea eagles in England will strengthen their presence in the UK and help to ensure their survival. There is no evidence that i am aware of that the Sea eagles will do any harm to livestock in East Anglia They are a magnificent spectacle, and they will enhance the wildlife of East Anglia
Sea eagles have proved a boon to the tourist
industry of Mull. Photo credit SNH. | consThey will eat all the bitterns, avocets and other rare birds that live in Suffolk - possibly In Scotland, they do occasionally eat lambs, as well as rabbits, and fish. It is believed that they mostly eat carrion Suffolk has a lot of intensive agriculture, including pig rearing and poultry. Would sea eagles eat piglets and chickens? Nimbyism. Libby Purvis, well known broadcaster and Suffolk resident, is very much against having them back in Suffolk - And she isn't the only one. There is a population of Sea eagles in Holland (much closer than Scotland), and a few of the Dutch birds occasionally appear over East Anglia. The fact that none have chosen to stay and set up home may be significant. If Boris gets to build his airport in the Thames Estuary, will ‘flying barn doors' mix well with hundreds of large jets every day? RSPB originally baulked at Sea eagles in Suffolk over concerns about other rare birds, but when Norfolk complained, the scheme was moved to Suffolk.
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Surely the landscapes of the Welsh Coast
or those of Southwest England would be
better suited? Photo credit Wildlife Extra. |
Sea eagle reintroduction in Cornwall and Wales - Or the Isle of WightGiven the current fuss over the reintroduction of sea eagles into Suffolk, and the amount of wild land and space Sea eagles need, why not choose Cornwall & Wales. Suffolk is one of the wealthier counties in the UK, but an extra £2 million per year in tourism revenue would be very attractive to the people of Cornwall and West Wales. England's last recorded nesting pair, back in the 18th century, were on the Isle of Wight, so perhaps we should look there too?
SEA EAGLES IN THE UK
White- tailed eagles numbered more than 200 pairs in 1700. By 1916, they were extinct as a breeding species because of persecution. Since 1975, they have been re-introduced into western Scotland, by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), in association with the RSPB. In 2007, 42 territories were occupied, with 24 successful breeding attempts producing 34 young. Persecution, including egg collecting and deliberate killing, remains a serious threat to their recovery, since the rate of population growth is naturally slow. To enable re-colonisation of other suitable coastal habitat, a new re-introduction project began in eastern Scotland in 2007.
Read the comments about this article and leave your own comment
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Posted by: Sue Owens | 11 Jan 2011 18:32:24
This is an ill informed choice of bird to introduce that borders on the arrogant. When there is so much conservation work to do for existing vulnerable birds or very recent local extinctions.
Why not work with Spoonbill, Wryneck, Red backed Shrike etc?
How about new woods managed for Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker? The tourism argument is poor as the Suffolk coast is already popular. Minsemere is brilliant,
one of my faves - it doesn't "need" eagles. When there is still so mych cynicism about green issues why make such a provocative statement? More likely to make enemies than win friends, this is a step too far.
Posted by: Bill Waller | 09 Feb 2010 14:05:11
While I would love to see these magnificent birds in England I can’t help thinking that introducing them artificially is a step too far. With most of the other, more natural, birds of prey struggling with a bad press and trying to get themselves established any negative impact from the introduced White tailed Eagles would give too much fuel to the ‘Kill all birds of prey’ brigade. Maybe we should concentrate more on helping the spread, and reputation, of Hen Harriers, Goshawks, etc before establishing such a high impact raptor.
Posted by: Barry Mann | 30 Jan 2010 08:49:25
I also voted negatively, because I think the money could be better spent elsewhere on research into and conservation of species that are still hanging on in there, but which are in big trouble. There is no shortage of candidates: Corn Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Spotted Flycatcher, Turtle Dove, Twite, Grey Partridge, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Wood Warbler etc etc... Just because other species don't have the macho/glamour PR potential of birds of prey is no reason for neglect. More effort and resourses should be put into raising the profiles of these once common species and their needs.
Posted by: Julian Wyllie | 29 Jan 2010 17:40:59
I replied the vote negatively for sea eagles reintroduction in the UK. In the Netherlands we have had a same kind of discussion, but we decided not to reintroduce these kind of bird species, because it is joking with the ecosystems. We have sea eagles and cranes back because of the size and abiotic circumstances of the new / expanded nature areas, and for the sea eagles carrion of the large grazers (deer, some cattle and horses). It does not make any sense to reintroduce species if the ecological demand is not met.
Posted by: Powell Ettinger | 29 Jan 2010 14:54:54