More sea eagles released in Kerry

A further nine white-tailed sea eagle chicks brought to Ireland from Norway have been released into Killarney National Park.

The Golden Eagle Trust, which operates the sea eagle reintroduction programme, said it plans to release another 13 juvenile birds later this year.

Some 14 of the 55 eagles released into the area since the programme began in 2007 have been lost.

While two have died from natural causes, most have been killed as a result of the practice of laying out poisoned meat bait.

Dr Allan Mee, White-Tailed Eagle Project manager, said he hoped the new birds would help re-establish a viable breeding population in Ireland.

“The worry remains the number of birds we continue to lose to poisoning.”

This year has been the worst on record for poisonings, with some 11 protected birds of prey killed from suspected poisoning, including sea eagles in Kerry, golden eagles in Donegal and red kites in Wicklow.

The carcasses of three sea eagles were found within a month earlier this year in one particular part of Kerry amid concerns local farmers were lacing sheep carcasses with lethal substances.

The programme aims to have reintroduced 100 birds by the end of next year. “We estimate between 45 and 60 of these will survive through to breeding, which we hope will be enough to maintain a viable population,” Dr Mee said.