Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, has today given his reaction to the new sea eagle management scheme which has been unveiled by SNH.Commenting today Jamie, who is also Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Crofting, and who over many years now has made repeated representations to Scottish Ministers on behalf of crofters and farmers whose livestock has been affected by sea-eagle predation, said:“ I am prepared to give a cautious welcome to this new scheme and like many farming and crofting constituents am encouraged that the scope of the new scheme seems to be wider than the previous one and that the funding for the new scheme has been increased. I commend the NFUS and the SCF for their campaigning efforts on behalf of farmers and crofters whose livestock have been affected by sea eagles.“ As we have heard at meetings of the Crofting CPG, sea-eagle predation on lambs is a very real issue for many west coast farmers and crofters. Last year one Gairloch crofter reported that a healthy lamb weighing 20 kg had been taken by a sea-eagle and that ewes were being attacked by sea-eagles as well as lambs. Some of these ewes were later dying from septicaemia from the wounds inflicted by the sea-eagles’ talons. There are very important animal welfare issued here.“ I have consistently argued for effective sea-eagle management schemes that are genuinely responsive to the needs of crofters and farmers who feel helpless in terms of being able to defend their livestock against predation by sea eagles. I hope the new scheme will go some way to delivering this and I agree that it is important that all farmers and crofters who experience issues with sea-eagles and livestock should report this to their local SNH office.”