SNH and partners testing new ways to protect lambs from sea eagles

White tailed sea eagle

Trials are underway by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and its partners on how to reduce the impact of sea eagle predation on sheep farming.

Removing trees where sea eagles nest next to lambing areas and new scaring methods are two techniques being tested on a small number of 'monitor farms' in west coast locations. These methods are being trialled in places where other management measures, such as extra shepherding, have failed to prevent loss of livestock.

SNH granted a licence this week to Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) to fell two trees where sea eagles have nested previously. The trees are on the

Captured Beauly Beaver Deaths: “Beavers require protection”

European beaver feeding © L.Campbell

Today came the depressing news that Scottish Natural Heritage's (SNH) attempts to, as they put it, relocate beavers living on the river Beauly, culminated in three animals being trapped, two of which have subsequently died.

The reason given for the relocation is that the beavers had been illegally released and despite the fact that the beavers have been peacefully living on the river Beauly for several years without causing any problems, it would seem that human legalities are considered more important than animal welfare. 

Below is a press release from Trees for Life

Reacting to news that two beavers trapped near

Tay Beavers.

Following my initial rant over how I felt about SNH trapping Beavers in the Tay valley, I followed it up, not with a retraction but an apology to SNH for referring to them as control freaks. I thought it was also fair to present a more sober view due to knowing little about what was actually happening on the ground, so to speak. I certainly don't possess first hand information about genus, disease or welfare regarding the Tay beavers which would allow me to present an informed opinion.

Tay Beavers re-visited

In retrospect I feel I should make an apology to SNH for referring to them in a previous post, as control freaks and for anyone wishing to see both sides, direct them to the SNH Press Release regarding the Tay Beavers.

I'm afraid that when I hear about animals being trapped and placed in captivity I tend towards a red haze.

In all fairness, there is a risk in allowing un-monitored release which is, of course, against the law anyway; and if these Beaver are of a different genus and possibly carrying parasites not indigenous to the UK environment, SNH have little choice but to do as they are.

I feel extremely sorry for the Beavers in question, for the grief and misery that we heap upon them; and I am fully in favour of properly re-introducing species to the UK, considering that they would have been here now if we hadn't caused their extinction for our own selfish ends.

Tay Beavers are damned by SNH

I couldn't believe what I was hearing when I was told about this and after I'd read the article I felt compelled to add my two cents worth.

It seems that some people and organisations have to feel as if they're in control. God forbid that Beavers should be doing something without SNH's permission. They spend a large amount of taxpayers money (probably a lot more than they needed to) doing a controlled release of Beavers in Knapdale and now they're spending even more money removing Beavers in the Tay valley who have been reintroducing themselves at no cost to anybody and without causing any trouble.

The reasons that SNH are reported to have given for their actions sound very weak to me and I'm always left with the feeling that they are control freaks.

The underlying facts are that the actions of Beavers are generally beneficial to their environment, in that they slow down water flow which reduces flood risk, improve biodiversity and ecosystems and add to the human enjoyement of the area.

The impact on fish stocks is probably also beneficial. Let's not forget that fish have been living alongside Beavers a lot longer than we have.

As to the health of the Beavers in question, the only danger is us!