Putting the record straight on sea eagles
6 January 2010
The project to assess the feasibility of re-introducing white-tailed (sea) eagles to Suffolk has attracted considerable publicity in recent weeks and with various claims being made about the status of the project it is worth clarifying a range of points about the work that is underway.
No decisions have been made on whether a reintroduction should proceed and currently, the project partners – Natural England and the RSPB – are continuing to gather evidence and research to enable them to assess the potential for a reintroduction and its likely impacts. A number of meetings have already taken place with landowners and local groups and an outline licence application has been submitted to Natural England’s Wildlife Licensing Team.
As part of our evidence work, a report has been commissioned from Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) to identify potential interactions between white-tailed eagles and livestock. As the next stage a contract has been let to the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) to develop a package of incentives and management options for alleviating concerns of livestock farmers. Part of FERA’s brief is to work directly with livestock farmers in developing potential management options. FERA are expected to produce their findings in February. These reports will help inform the development of a management package that is a formal requirement of a licence application, and an essential component of ensuring that any release of white-tailed eagles can take place without detriment to the livestock farming industry. We will continue to pull together research and evidence during 2010 - depending on the results and the availability of funding we would look to begin formal consultation in the second half of 2010.
It is incorrect to argue (as some have attempted to do) that the project has been postponed or put on hold. There is no set timetable for the work and we are rightly ensuring that the work needed to inform a licence decision is done thoroughly and that we have listened to and considered all concerns.
It is also important to emphasise the reasons why the re-introduction is being considered in the first place and the processes that we have chosen to adopt in considering them. Species reintroductions are widely regarded as an essential conservation technique and are employed worldwide with increasing frequency. A large number of governments – including those in Britain - are legally obliged (under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Habitats and Species Directive), to consider the restoration of native species to their former range.
International (IUCN) guidelines on reintroductions provide a comprehensive and widely respected basis for assessing the appropriateness of projects, and for informing their development and implementation. Whilst they are not legally binding, they are followed by all statutory agencies and conservation NGOs in Britain. Natural England follows these guidelines in the planning and implementation of projects and uses them to help assess licence applications to release animals into the wild. Further information on the IUCN guidelines is available at: http://www.lcie.org/Docs/LCIE%20IUCN/IUCN%20Reintroduction%20guidelines.pdf
Tom Tew, Natural England’s Chief Scientist concluded: “The project partners remain committed to the feasibility study and we look forward to further engagement with interested groups to help assess whether a reintroduction should take place. A project of this type would only go ahead if it were right for the area as well as for the ecological needs of the birds themselves. We will continue to compile evidence in the months ahead and will rightly ensure that this work has been completed before seeking a determination of the licence application, and making decisions about whether to proceed with a reintroduction.”
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