THE IRISH Farmers Association (IFA) has condemned as “absolutely unacceptable” the recent poisoning of a rare golden eagle in Co Donegal.
The loss of the 10-month-old bird, which was found dead on a hillside at the edge of Glenveagh National Park on February 19th, has prompted an appeal to sheep farmers not to endanger the country’s fragile eagle population by laying poisoned bait ahead of the lambing season.
Toxicology tests on the body of the female eagle, which was brought to the county last August from the island of Mull in Scotland, have indicated the bird was poisoned.
Separate investigations by the Garda, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture are under way into the killing of the bird which is protected under the Wildlife Acts.
There is a strong possibility the bird may have been killed by consuming poison which had been laid in a carcass to target foxes or hooded crows in advance of the lambing season.
The IFA representative for the Raphoe area of Donegal, Davie Keith, condemned the killing of the eagle. He said local farmers had supported the reintroduction of the golden eagles into Co Donegal, and “any form of diversification in a rural county such as this is to be applauded”.
The Golden Eagle Trust has managed to establish a population of four territorial pairs of golden eagles in the northwest since the reintroduction programme began in 2001. Prior to the programme, golden eagles had been extinct as breeding species in the Republic since 1912.
Lorcán O’Toole, head of the Golden Eagle Trust, said the killing of the bird was an act of “reckless poisoning”.
The loss of the Donegal eagle has prompted the scientist in charge of the reintroduction of the white-tailed sea eagle project in Co Kerry to appeal to sheep farmers in south Kerry and west Cork not to lay poisoned bait as the lambing season approaches.
Dr Allan Mee said the laying of poison was “a recipe for death” for sea eagles. If poison had to be laid to control pests, it should be non-meat based.
Last year four sea eagles brought to the Killarney National Park from Norway fell victim to poisoned bait.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said he is considering the introduction of stricter regulations which would outlaw the use of poisoned meat-based bait.