Transcript here - Wildland Network

Restoring Key Species to Britain
Issues, examples and lessons
Roy Dennis MBE
Highland Foundation for Wildlife
Reintroducing key mammals
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Workshop at the right time
Suddenly there’s more interest
Probably best time for 30 years
Now the time to press ahead – cos the
pendulum always swings back sometime
• My view is key species are essential for
functioning ecosystem.
Reminder how bad the loss is!
Lost from Scotland since last Ice Age:
Auroch (wild cattle), Moose (Elk), Reindeer,
Wild boar and Beaver
Lynx, Wolf and Brown Bear
These are really influential animals in the
functioning of ecosystems.
Their absence is
detrimental to nature
conservation and
management in the UK
What to do about it?
• Reintroduction – big mammals not going to get
back naturally like some birds, bats or insects
• EU Directive encourages member states to
examine the potential for restoring lost species
• But many feel that we should do these things
ourselves to make up for past mistakes and to
restore nature.
Bird Reintroductions –
more pro-active
Capercaillie – 19th century
White-tailed eagle – 1959, 1968, 1975 onwards
Red Kite 1989 to Scotland and England
Goshawk – by the back door from 1960s
Osprey to central England from 1996
More recently translocations of
Golden Eagle to Ireland
Corncrake to England
What can we learn?
And other species in people’s minds such as
common crane and white stork
Old breeding sites of Sea Eagles
Isle of Skye Scotland
Middle Ages – widespread then intense persecution.
1800 - about 20 pairs left in Scotland
1916 - last pair nested in Inverness-shire
Early reintroductions:
1959 – 3 birds Argyll
1968 – 4 young Fair Isle.
1968 - imported four young sea eagles
from Norway; two of each sex.
Died or dispersed
Too few, wrong place
Stopped from getting more
Rum National Nature Reserve NCC
1975 – 85 92 young from Norway
Reared and released from hacking
cages
Resulted in first breeding 1983
First young in wild 1985
First wild young bred in 1995
Still not 10 young per year in
wild by 1997
56 more imported 1993 -1998
100 young reared by 2000
and 22 pairs on territory
30 young from 36 pairs in
2006
Total young reared
222
Sea Eagle Reintroduction
It took a long time and was not easy. Project stopped in 1969
Restarted because strong push from Ian Newton and Morton Boyd
Population on west coast Scotland secure but food supplies problematic
Breeding range far too restricted
Proposals to restore them in eastern Scotland for last 15 years – delays
Now proposals and discussions for East Scotland, England, Wales and
Ireland
Techniques all work well - but ever increasing bureaucratic hurdles
Use big starter populations – choose areas of richest habitat and food
supplies
Exterminated in Scotland end 19th century;
re-introduced from Sweden 1989 to 1993;
now re-established and spreading
Chose most ecological
productive area for project
Chose long term project
progression
Linked to joint
project with
England
93 young from Sweden 1989-1993
First breeding 1992
More releases:
in late 1990’s Central Scotland
early 2000’s South-west Scotland
4 sites in England using Spanish
kites
RAF support and
lots of publicity
Success of Red Kites
• Moving programme of releases
• Partnership teams of RSPB, English
Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, and
ornithologists,landowners and managers
• Lots of birds released
• Great publicity and success
• Kites in general countryside not in special
reserves – so close to people
Now to the really
important players in
ecosystems – the lost
mammals
The Auroch is lost for
ever
Our dominant mammal
is now red deer
But wouldn’t it be
great to have a few
herds of ‘wild’
Highland cattle
The ecological value of big herbivores
is more and more understood.
Lots of new projects and thinking
but we need far more
Ecological functioning
Heck cattle in Netherlands
Future:
Increase in cattle for
conservation
wild ‘feral’ herds of native
cattle
Or will we be prevented
because of ‘health & safety
controls’
Beavers are keystone species with very
important role in ecosystem health
They are essential in nature
– just like oil in a car engine!
Important ecological effects
nearly all beneficial
Water flows, sedimentation
Ameliorating floods
Habitat manipulation
Habitat creation - ponds
Invertebrates
Fish
Plants
Mammals
Amphibians
Birds
But how long do we have to keep repeating it!!!
Is there available habitat in UK?– we have
hundreds and hundreds of suitable places!
Moose: exterminated about 900 years? ago –
increased in last 40 years in Europe.
How do we keep forest ponds open or kill trees for woodpeckers
Wild Boar
Exterminated long
ago by hunting and
incorporation into
domestic free-ranging
pigs.
Since 1988 storms,
escapes free living
from ‘wild boar farms’
Lynx & roe deer
and ancient trees
Lynx – most suitable
candidate after
beaver.
Provider of carrion – we
need top predators
We need return of large predators to
Influence middle range predators such
as badger, otter, fox and marten
Wolf
Last to survive
Last killed in Scotland in 1743
Lots of culture and history.
Lots of antagonism! But….
there is room and lots of prey
Important effects
on red deer – not
only kill some but
move the others
around – good for
regeneration
Importance
of telling
stories
Greenland polar wolves
Bears : there are problems but people in Europe live with them
And why should the poorer countries of Europe have the big mammals not us
Zarnesti Study Area – Romania
13000 hectares
Gamekeeper
Mosu
Compared to Scotland
Red deer
105
1000
Roe deer
120
350+
Boar
160-180
0
Brown Bear
43
0
Wolf
5-7
0
Lynx
6
0
Red fox, badger, wildcat, pine
marten and otter.
Austria
Bear
Project
Is it possible?
12 years ago two experts from
Bavaria & Romania visited the
Highlands – definitely suitable habitat
for all lost species
The issue is social and political
not ecological
But now rapidly changing attitudes
changes in agriculture with
rural management and ecotourism
opportunities.
I think it is possible.
Difficulties from Conservation Colleagues and Bodies
Reintroductions are expensive and/or unnecessary
Rare birds are sexy and special feature of area or reserve – so regional
staff don’t want them common elsewhere
Not enough habitat
Make it too complicated – excessive time and money spent on feasibility
studies
Too much time on special issues such as genetic pools
Too few staff in important positions know the species in the wild
Scared of it going wrong rather than excited at it succeeding
Putting off decisions until next year – then a new problem
Society and political issues
People can be scared of big changes and big animals
Difficult to get politicians to take bold decisions especially when advised
by civil servants
Excessive influence of farmers, land-owners, fishermen as opposed to
‘ordinary’ citizens
Countryside side changing and ecotourism now very important in rural
areas – many of these animals have high economic values
Must have sound and robust management action
Scared to have big mammals in UK but happy to sponsor tigers in India
or lions in Africa
UK a rich country and needs to do much more for ecosystem restoration
You need to get on and do it
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Learn as much as possible about the species
Get to know species in the wild
Be sensible and sensitive
Tell interesting stories
Don’t give up - keep pushing
Today’s impossibility is tomorrow’s project
Emphasise ecological values
Always ask for greater areas of nature and more
resources for in-field wildlife management