Norwegian eagles are poisoned in Ireland

Norway’s Ambassador to Ireland would like to change the law after at least seven Norwegian sea eagles have been poisoned.

As a gift to Ireland, Norway has sent a number of newly hatched eagles over the North Sea. Norway has been part of the project since 2007, and the goal is that the birds will form the basis for a new, viable stem eagles in Ireland.

The last three years, annually sent about 15 new young eagles from Norway to the Killarney National Park on the west coast of Ireland, and the plan is that this will continue another two years.

Was poisoned

Now, however the “Eagle Project” become a diplomatic problem. The reason is that 14 of eagles have died.

Seven, these are poisoned, and one suspects that this may have happened to several of the Eagles. When the Sunday found another dead bird, the third in less than one month, requested the Norwegian the ambassador to Ireland, Øyvind Nordsletten, to react.

“We are deeply concerned about the situation and hope one will do everything to make this type of poisoning illegal, ” he said Belfast Telegraph.

Want amendment

In Irish law there is an opening to use poison in carcasses, mainly to kill the fox. Although it is illegal to kill birds in this way constitutes legal basis a major threat to birds, the newspaper said.

In some of the dead eagles are also found traces of banned toxins.

“We hope that the unfortunate practice of poisoning will stop so that this great eagle, that we are very well known in Norway, may be part of the Irish landscape,” said Nordsletten.

Resistance from farmers

The leaders of the “Eagle Project” want stricter laws on the use of poison, and the Irish authorities expressed concern about the situation.

Even if you do not know who poisoned eagles suspicion directed against the Irish farmers.

When the first eagle young land at the airport in Kerry in 2007, met with over 100 farmers in protest. They fear that eagles, one of the largest birds of prey will be a threat to lambs.

Irish government hopes that the project will form the basis for a new, viable stem of eagles in Ireland, a hundred years after they became extinct because of hunting and trapping. Also Scotland has previously requested Norwegian assistance to rebuild its population of eagles.

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