'MP has a lot to learn following comments on dead eagles'

I must question his statement about an official report by Scottish Natural Heritage stating that one farm alone in Scotland has had 181 lambs killed and taken by eagles.

Commissioned Report 370 on Sea Eagle Predation on lambs in the Gairloch Area (Wester Ross) is a lengthy report and was commissioned after farmers and crofters complained of high lamb mortality.

Within the study area in the radio-tagged flocks, no lambs (including both tagged and non tagged lambs) were taken by white tailed eagles.

Chris Loder, MP for west Dorset. Picture: Sam McKeown

Outside this area one lamb with poor body condition was found to have puncture marks which indicated it had probably been killed by a white tailed or golden eagle.

These birds are not a serious predator of lambs. Certainly the local sheep farmers in my area have more trouble with dogs than wildlife.

Another thing Mr Loder needs to learn is the importance of the rule of law, which is a cornerstone of any democracy. 

The police do not need to be told by politicians what they should or should not investigate. That happens in dictatorships and should never happen in a democracy.

His suggestion that it is reasonable for people to worry about an eagle landing in their front garden and take their small dog or cat is alarmist nonsense.

Chris Loder is my MP but I have not yet written to him as in my experience you cannot reason with people who write vitriolic tweets as he has done. 

No doubt he will brand me as being unreasonable and foolish. So be it.

Graham Whitby

Portesham

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