The Nature of Scotland
The Nature of Scotland
The Nature of Scotland
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
NEWS<br />
A soaring success<br />
Over the past six years, 85 young sea eagles have been released from a secret location in Fife in a<br />
bid to restore this magnificent bird to its former range in eastern <strong>Scotland</strong>. <strong>The</strong> August release <strong>of</strong> six<br />
youngsters marked the end <strong>of</strong> a successful reintroduction programme.<br />
A partnership, consisting <strong>of</strong> RSPB <strong>Scotland</strong>, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission<br />
<strong>Scotland</strong> (FCS), with additional financial support from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Fife and Rural<br />
Tayside LEADER 2007–2013 Programme, hope the birds will begin to produce young on <strong>Scotland</strong>’s<br />
east coast in the coming years.<br />
Stewart Stevenson, who was Minister for Environment & Climate Change at the time, said: “We<br />
have been pleased to support this project over the last six years. <strong>The</strong> return <strong>of</strong> sea eagles to the skies<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>’s east coast marks an important step in ensuring we now have a viable population <strong>of</strong> these<br />
magnificent birds. As well as fulfilling a role in our ecosystems, the birds are an important feature for<br />
our growing nature-based tourism industry.”<br />
Once a regular sight in <strong>Scotland</strong>’s skies, the sea eagle was driven to extinction in the Victorian era.<br />
It returned to the UK only after a successful reintroduction to the west <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>, which began on<br />
the island <strong>of</strong> Rum in 1975.<br />
Although the majority <strong>of</strong> the Scottish population remains on the west <strong>of</strong> the country, the species<br />
is now regularly spotted in eastern and central <strong>Scotland</strong> too. <strong>The</strong> latest batch <strong>of</strong> released birds<br />
have been fitted with radio and wing tags so both project staff and the public can follow their future<br />
progress.<br />
Head <strong>of</strong> Policy and Advice at SNH, Ron MacDonald, added: “<strong>Scotland</strong> is once again home to a<br />
healthy sea eagle population, with many breeding successfully in the west. This project in the east<br />
will help them spread to much <strong>of</strong> their former range. It will also give more people the chance to see<br />
them and allow more communities to benefit from their status as a visitor attraction. This brings the<br />
reintroduction programme to a close and it’s important to acknowledge the huge amount <strong>of</strong> work by<br />
all those involved, from volunteers to land managers, who along with RSPB and FCS have made this<br />
project work. Alv Ottar Folkstead and his fellow fieldworkers in Norway deserve particular recognition<br />
for their work in providing the chicks for <strong>Scotland</strong>.”<br />
18 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>
Change language