Apparently, Suffolk is being lined up for the site of a 'reintroduction' of the white-tailed sea eagle, according to an opinion piece in today's Times. Libby Purves is against them, on the grounds that Suffolk isn't a very big place (I paraphrase and precis a bit here).
Whilst I'm slightly bemused as to why Natural England and the RSPB are bothering, I can't see the harm in it. There is already an established colony of sea eagles in the Netherlands, just across the North Sea, and in all likelihood, we experience the odd visit already. The question is, are there sufficient places near the Suffolk coast where sea eagles might thrive?
Coastal Suffolk is, for the most part, pretty quiet. Apart from Lowestoft to the north, and Felixstowe to the south, the shoreline is bypassed by major transport routes, and the small ports are predominantly set a little way inland, up river estuaries. That quietness is reflected by the attractiveness of the villages to second home owners from the big city.
I suspect, therefore, that there are places where, with goodwill on the part of local landowners, a sea eagle or two could be relocated, to eat fish, and to look generally majestic.
There is precedence for the reintroduction of wildlife in Suffolk, with the work of the Otter Trust so successful that it has effectively ceased operations. And, as long as it is done sensibly, I think that we may all get to enjoy the sight of a sea eagle over Dunwich at some point in the future.
Perhaps someone could do something for the water vole next?...
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