Scots Farmer Says Sea Eagles Are Threatening His Livelihood

Lochgilphead: A Scottish farmer is really feeling the heat from sea eagles. Richard Rennie, who runs Garvachy Farm, says these birds are wiping out his sheep. He’s lost nearly 300 lambs to just two pairs of eagles. That’s a big hit for any farmer.

Rennie took over the farm from his father-in-law six years ago, and now he’s facing a tough situation. Under Scots law, it’s illegal to harm these protected birds, which makes things even trickier. He’s reported a loss of £24,000 last year alone.

He’s tried everything, even indoor lambing, but as soon as the lambs are out on the hills, it’s chaos. He mentioned that if four eagles take one lamb each day for 50 days, that’s 200 lambs gone. It’s a real struggle, and he feels like he’s running out of options.

To make matters worse, he’s worried the eagles might go after his dogs next. The family is now looking to diversify their business, hoping to find a way to manage the eagle population.

Experts from NatureScot are trying to help by setting up feeding stations to lure the eagles away from the sheep. They’re working closely with Rennie to find solutions, but so far, it hasn’t been successful. It’s a tough situation for everyone involved.