IT WOULD appear that farmers, landowners and gamekeepers are once again on the receiving end of a judge and jury verdict from the RSPB, with regard to a missing golden eagle in the Monadhliath mountains.

Because it was 'close to a grouse shooting area', the automatic assumption seems to be that a wildlife crime has been committed. If that were proved, then it would, indeed, be heinous. But, it would be only right and proper to ensure that the finger-pointing so blatantly used by organisations such as RSPB, is tempered by fact, rather than assumption.

The police are involved and until they find any concrete evidence, then there should be no accusations flying about. Only recently, the shooting industry – and by implication landowners – were accused of killing another young eagle and dumping its body in the North Sea, where the signal from its transmitter disappeared.

The statement 'may have been deliberately killed' appeared in many media outlets, but it seems that the other likely explanation 'that it disappeared after dying from natural causes', doesn't get to see the light of day.

This newspaper would be the first to lambast any person found to have illegally killed any raptor, or protected animal. But, there has to be an administration of natural justice and proof, and until that happens speculation as to the fate of these young birds is just that.

Longer term aims

SHEEP FARMERS might feel aggrieved that QMS' campaign in the run up to Easter is focussing in on beef.

While we can see where the marketeers are coming from in their efforts to maintain the Scotch beef premium, it will be seen as a bit of short-termism by those with lambs still to sell.

Easter is traditionally a 'lamb market', so it can be understood that the ad-campaign would seek to spread the traditional meat buying spree to beef.

However, in little more than a year's time, the biggest single market for UK sheepmeat – ie, the rest of Europe – could be less than welcoming to our product and a home market could be ever more important.

At a time when the sheep industry is facing a Brexit-inspired cliff edge, it might be that a longer term view might have been taken to actively promote lamb.

That said, QMS battles well on an under-nourished budget – one which, it should be hoped, will be better fed in the run up to and following Brexit.