SIR, – Regarding 'Sea eagle problems escalate', The Scottish Farmer, p5, April 1 issue. As an NFUS member and the chair of the Argyll and Lochaber sea eagle stakeholder group, I feel strongly that the article, in part, misrepresents where we currently are on this issue.

Plans are progressing due to the considerable work that has been put in by farmers, crofters and others on the regional and national groups, and we expect to make important steps this year towards finding solutions.

Criticism of NFUS is unfair. The deep concerns of our Lorn branch prompted the union to take action. Thereafter, staff worked with members to examine the issues and make the case to SNH as to why there had to be a new approach.

This led to a 2014 joint statement of intent between NFUS and SNH, which in turn led to the creation of local stakeholder groups which for the first time gave members an opportunity to voice their views directly to SNH and others.

The agreement also committed SNH to have a Sea Eagle Action Plan for Scotland by the end of March 2017. That work is almost complete and, for the last few months, SNH has had a dedicated officer working on and pulling together all the contributions from all parties involved to formulate the plan.

Part of the 2014 agreement involved the commissioning and eventual publication of the report which modelled the expansion of the range and population of sea eagles.

Worryingly, that report has forecast that much of the growth is going to be in the areas where the birds are already present. That is of deep concern to me and my fellow members, but it has focused minds on finding ways to reduce predation.

This has been a long journey, not without issues along the road, and we’re not at the end yet. I agree with many of the points made by Sybil Macpherson in the article but I can also testify to the huge volume of unseen work that is being put in by all the stakeholders – NFUS, SNH, RSPB, Scottish Government, Forestry Commission, and SRUC – in trying to develop a plan that will effectively deal with the predation whilst recognising that sea eagles are now part of the landscape of Scotland.

We have had a nesting pair locally for more than 12 years and experienced the damage that can be caused to hill flocks. I feel for my fellow farmers and crofters on Mull, Skye and the North West who have endured this problem for more than 30 years in parts.

I have the greatest respect for Sybil for all the hard work she continues to do in fighting the cause of the hill farmer in Scotland, however, given that the sea eagle has the highest level of protection in law, I'm sure Sybil will appreciate that the plan is the only realistic route we have in getting measures in place to reduce predation.

We are far further ahead than we would ever have been had it not been for the joint agreement between NFUS and SNH, an achievement due in no small part to the late Lachlan Maclean of Knock, Mull, who was the first chairman of the Argyll and Lochaber stakeholder group.

He had already spent many years fighting to bring attention to this issue and defend the right of the hill farmer or crofter to be able to sustain a hill flock without unchecked predation.

David Colthart

Chairman,

Argyll and Lochaber sea eagle stakeholder group