Some good news - more eagles released in Kerry

LostCovey

Hope they keep safe.

LostCovey

Nine white-tailed eagles released to boost numbers
IRISH INDEPENDENT
Thursday August 05 2010

NINE white-tailed sea eaglets took to the skies yesterday as a project to reintroduce them to Killarney National Park continues.

So far, 64 white-tailed eagles have been released in Killarney, Co Kerry, 14 of which have died, including seven from poisoning.

This year, 11 protected birds of prey, including three kites, three white-tailed eagles, a golden eagle, three buzzards and a peregrine falcon, have been confirmed poisoned here.

The three white-tailed eagles were poisoned in a four-week period in the Beaufort area near Killarney, close to where they had been released.

Dr Allan Mee of the Golden Eagle Trust, and director of the Killarney project, yesterday said it was likely all three had fed on the same poisoned sheep carcass.

He was still hopeful, however, that the project would be successful, despite setbacks.

Poisoned

There has been strong farmer opposition to the project, amid fears eagles would kill lambs and that stricter regulations would be imposed on farming practices to facilitate the birds.

Farmers are liable to have their EU payments reduced if they are found to have killed protected wild birds such as eagles and red kites.

But, Dr Mee said there was also a huge amount of support for the project and felt what happened in Beaufort was most likely a single incident.

Following a recent meeting with the Irish Farmers' Association, the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, Teagasc and other groups, he hoped the situation would improve.

"We must turn things around before next year's lambing season. I'm hopeful the meeting will be the start of a better relationship,'' he said.

Farm organisations have strongly rebutted suggestions the eagles were deliberately poisoned.

Farmer representatives maintain the poisonings were accidental, with the birds consuming substances that are normally put out for foxes, crows and other predators of lambs.

Gardai and the Department of Agriculture and Food are investigating the poisonings and nobody has been prosecuted, as yet.

The latest 22 birds -- 16 male and six female -- have again been donated by the Norwegian wildlife authorities.

Three of the birds have satellite tags that enables their movements to be tracked.

Some of the previously released birds have travelled all over this country and have been traced to parts of Co Antrim, Lough Neagh and the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

Irish Independent

LisaO

At least the Norwegians still have faith in the project. Wouldn't blame them if they decided to withdraw their support.

eden_my_ass

Personally I don't see the reasoning in introducing more so soon. No one was caught for what happened, no example was made for others to see and I don't see attitudes changing overnight as a result. Lambs to the slaughter unfortunately....

Judgement Day

I would like to see the reintroduction programme postponed until some prosecutions are brought.

Mabel

Would agree with the above sentiments. It is nice to see more being released, but one can't help but worry for them.

greeneyedspirit

Good news indeed. I do hope they keep safe. Fingers crossed!

trebor28

excuse my ignorance but is 64 not a hige number to be releasing in one area?
not that familiar with kerry so dont know much about the size of the area but its sounds a little bit much in a county that isnt that big.
are they hoping they will spread outside of kerry from releasing them down there?

Bullseye1

Magnificant birds. Hopefully this will be successful and those responsible for killing earlier releases are caught and jailed.

goat2

hopefully they will not be accidentially poisoned, it would be a cruel death
i would like to see them multiply, and enjoy seeing them

Birdnuts

trebor28 wrote: »

are they hoping they will spread outside of kerry from releasing them down there?

They already have and have been reported from places like Sligo,Clare, Galway, Wicklow, Lough Neagh in NI and even Scotland.

PS: I would share peoples sceptism about releasing more birds in this area given the sickening events of recent springs. The lack of prosecutions and failure of this useless government to outlaw the use of uncovered poison baits for foxes doesn't fill me with huge optimism for the future of these birds:(

Birdnuts

trebor28 wrote: »

excuse my ignorance but is 64 not a hige number to be releasing in one area?
not that familiar with kerry so dont know much about the size of the area but its sounds a little bit much in a county that isnt that big.

In Norway there are found naturally in even higher densities which would have been the case in many parts of Ireland as late as the 18th centuary.

PS: Don't forget too that of these 64 a large number have been illegally poisoned:mad

trebor28

Birdnuts wrote: »

In Norway there are found naturally in even higher densities which would have been the case in many parts of Ireland as late as the 18th centuary.

PS: Don't forget too that of these 64 a large number have been illegally poisoned:mad

dont get me wrong i am all for this, just wondering would there be enough space and food for them to successfully settle in and breed without affecting each others chances.
would love to see a few released around where i live.

must head down to kerry sometime and bring my binoculars.

Morganna

oh dear thats so sad .as some B******s will poison and shoot them....
I pray they keep safe ...

BryanL

I can't believe how negative most posts are.
Thankfully the people involved are staying positive, 11% have been poisoned but as many have died from other causes.
They had similar problems in Scotland with their project in the early days, but continued and succeeded.

Congratulations to them on their great work. I saw 2 eagles in Cork and i'm very grateful for what they've done.
Bryan

eden_my_ass

BryanL wrote: »

I can't believe how negative most posts are.
Thankfully the people involved are staying positive, 11% have been poisoned but as many have died from other causes.
They had similar problems in Scotland with their project in the early days, but continued and succeeded.

Congratulations to them on their great work. I saw 2 eagles in Cork and i'm very grateful for what they've done.
Bryan

Thats very unfair, I haven't seen a single negative comment yet, just a lot of concern over the reality of what has happened so far. Even if its only 11% that have been poisoned, the resulting lack of persecution and lack of will to do anything can be taken by the guilty as state endorsement of this type of poisoning, and so will be seen as an ok thing to do. Thats not negative talk.

megadodge

I suspect what BryanL is getting at is the amount of support there seems to be here for suspending the whole re-introduction project until some further date (when hopefully prosecutions have taken place).

I personally can't understand why anyone would want that, as surely that's giving into the ignorant few, letting them win!!

Sure all they have to do if the project is brought back again after a few years is poison one or two more eagles and the whole thing is brought to another halt. Obviously then, the whole project will inevitably come to a complete stop and we're back to square one - no eagles in Ireland!

LostCovey

eden_my_ass wrote: »

Thats very unfair, I haven't seen a single negative comment yet, just a lot of concern over the reality of what has happened so far. Even if its only 11% that have been poisoned, the resulting lack of persecution and lack of will to do anything can be taken by the guilty as state endorsement of this type of poisoning, and so will be seen as an ok thing to do. Thats not negative talk.

I am with Bryan L, and think you have introduced an unfairness of your own here eden_my_ass.

Lookit, somebody puts a poisoned carcass on a hill and poisons an eagle. How is the state going to prosecute this? By finding the eagle carcass, proving it was poisoned, finding the poisoned bait, finding the poison in it, proving who laid the carcass there, proving they put the poison in it, and that they intended to kill an eagle.

On a remote mountain. Maybe two weeks after the bait was laid

Beyond reasonable doubt.

Now I have put more posts here about eagle poisonings than maybe any other poster, but in fairness to the authorities, what I outlined above is a very tall order.

And certainly the absence of prosecutions is not the same as "state endorsement of this type of poisoning". That is unfair.

I absolutely agree that legislation needs to be tightened and enforcement improved. But we need to remember that the vast majority of these eagles were killed by ignorance, and in a few cases by prejudice. This is an issue where education and changing mindsets in the long run is the only hope. In the meantime if some guilty party gets a big fine and does time for these crimes, great, I would be overjoyed.

But do not underestimate the value of the annual releases of eagle chicks in educating and motivating the public, including the farming public. And eventually establishing a wild breeding population of sea eagles in Ireland.
This scheme is going to succeed, but it needs our support, and I for one won't give up while there is a shred of hope.

Don't let the f***ers wreck it.

LostCovey