Remember last week when we blogged about the calls from a former Crofting Commissioner, Donnie Ross, for the ‘complete eradication’ of sea eagles (see here)?
Well have a look at the response of George Macdonald, the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association’s Development, Education & Training Officer – this is what he posted on his Facebook page (and we got a screen shot before he deleted it):
To us, and to others, it seems, this looks like the senior SGA man is endorsing the former Crofting Commissioner’s view that sea eagles (and pine martens) should be ‘absolutely destroyed’.
Mr Macdonald has denied the claims – see here. He says he ‘was meaning that people need to look at the issue’. If that’s what he meant, why not say, “People need to look at the issue” rather than say, “Mr Ross of Leault is absolutely correct with his observations”?
The SGA is a member of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime, and they are also represented on the PAW Scotland Raptor Group – a consortium of organisations supposedly working towards the eradication of raptor persecution in Scotland (see here).
Is it any wonder that this group has been so utterly ineffective?
Isn’t it time that the SGA was booted off this group?
Raptor Persecution UK 
Wonder how he feels about weasels, because he certainly seems to admire their words…….
Considering that grouse, and to a lesser extent pheasant, shooting are minority interest activities, it seems to me that a disproportionate amount of resource is given over to supporting them. I do not believe that there is a sustainable argument for allowing the privilege, enjoyed by a privileged minority, to continue. Were the estates that currently cater for this activity opened up to wildlife tourism and to less bloody leisure interests, then the only losers would be the trigger happy mongrels who keep the whole sorry business of killing game going – employment opportunities and other economic benefits would be enjoyed by a greater part of the population than the mediaeval practices now support. If it were all about the irresistible taste of grouse meat, I am sure that more efficient and humane methods of delivering “game” to the table could be found. Meanwhile, we carry on this endless struggle against the morons who sustain the “sport” and who, in doing so, sustain the knock on effect against the natural balance of our landscape. Let’s take the fight to them and make them justify the whole regressive industry which must be tolerated by the many for the sick pleasures of the few. This is political!
John – hear hear! – could really not have put it better myself!
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
The hypocrisy of these people.
We are expected to believe the line that they never kill raptors but want the law changed so they can.
Is anyone really surprised by the this?? – the SGA views on raptors have always been from the Victorian dark ages
How can anyone have any confidence in the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime? Absolute sham.
This response encapsulates the appalling view the landowners have of wildlife. All grouse shooting estates should have all their grants and use as a tax loss removed.
With the attitude of the senior SGA officials, there is absolutely no way they should have representation on PAW. They are nothing short of thugs. Any decent gamekeeper wouldn’t want to be associated with them…
Why don’t they just come out? Come on lads end the sham marriage that is PAWS and reveal your true inner selves.
This surely discredits PAW once and for all. It is high time it and its cronies were put in the ‘mistake of the new Millennium’ bin for good. They are pathetic.
It is a well known fact that what some gamekeepers want to do, is obliterate all creatures with either a hooked beak or claws.
In past decades they did succeed in killing off Red Kite, White Tailed Eagle and very nearly succeeded in killing off the Wild Cat, Pine Martin, Buzzard, Hen Harrier and many others. I for one am disgusted with the so called custodians of our countryside – killers of the countryside is a better description.
[Ed: Thanks Chris – edited slightly!]