SCOTTISH NATIONAL Heritage has said it is not currently considering suspending the licence to collect golden eagle chicks for the reintroduction programme in Donegal, following the poisoning of a bird there.
Confirmation of this came from Dr Ron Macdonald, SNH’s head of policy and advice, after a meeting in Edinburgh between representatives of the Irish Golden Eagle project and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
“Some media reports have stated that SNH is presently considering suspending the licence to collect birds; this is not true,” he said in a statement from SNH.
“The review group will report to SNH’s Scientific Advisory Committee in summer 2009, giving their view on the progress of the project.
“SNH will, in due course, make a decision on the future licensed collection of birds to Ireland,” he said.
The statement added the review would deal with concerns about the fate of some of the released birds regarding poisoning.
Last week, Lorcan O’Toole, manager of the Golden Eagle Trust, confirmed reports that Scottish National Heritage had ordered a full review of the Irish operation, and had temporarily stopped issuing a licence for birds to be exported here.
Dr Macdonald said yesterday’s meeting was purely a fact-finding gathering, which looked at operations and practices supporting the golden eagle project in Scotland and Ireland.
“Taking into account the needs of the Scottish golden eagle population as a whole, SNH will then look at the next phase of licensed removal, transfer and release of golden eagle chicks from Scotland at a future meeting,” he said.
The meeting had been told the eight-year project had made a promising start and, up to last year, 53 golden eagles had been released in Glenveagh National Park and had dispersed widely, with up to six home ranges in Donegal being occupied.