A WHITE-TAILED sea eagle released into the Killarney National Park last summer as part of an ambitious five-year reintroduction programme from Norway, has been found to have been poisoned near Glencar in the foothills of the Macgillycuddy Reeks.
It is the ninth eagle poisoned in the sheep farming area of the Reeks which extends west of Killarney and includes the river Laune and Beaufort area. Another eagle was shot in the vicinity.
The latest poisoning comes despite strict legislation banning poisoned bait to control foxes introduced in October after an outcry by conservation groups and representatives of Norway over the spate of poisonings in the spring.
Last May the Norwegian ambassador to Ireland, Öyvind Nordsletten, expressed his outrage at the continued use of meat bait to poison animals and birds.
The female, which was found on December 11th last, died from high concentrations of liver fluke drug, the State laboratory has concluded.
This was probably from meat bait left out to poison foxes and grey crows, a practice that is now “unequivocally illegal and totally unacceptable” under recent legislation, those involved in the project said yesterday.
Gardaí are investigating and are understood to be following a definite line of inquiry.
Some 77 eagles were brought to Ireland from Norway as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme that began in 2007. A total of 15 have have since died, 10 of them in Kerry.
The scientist in charge of the project, Dr Allan Mee, said the practice of using poisoned meat bait had been banned outright from October. The legislation was unequivocal and fines of up to €5,000 may now be imposed on conviction.