BY BERT BURNETT

Loch Lomond was once a stronghold for capercaillie but thanks to RSPB type management where nature takes its own course the capercaillie is now gone forever.

It has been suggested for years that the way to bring back capercaillie is to rear and release but RSPB have effectively blocked any attempts for this to happen. They encourage releases with so many other species, but the caper has been singled out for exclusion.

Why?

It’s apparently not the right time to do rear and release. The RSPB says they must understand why they are going extinct and solve this problem first.

Really?

Call me cynical but, from experience, I would suggest the potential amounts of money available to the RSPB, who would demand they carry out any reintroductions or are lead partners, is not yet high enough.

Predation is the biggest restrictor in capercaillie numbers. Curlews are reared and released knowing predation affects their numbers. Beavers are being preyed upon but that does not mean that beavers cannot be reared and released.

So where is the logic in all of this? What determines who, what, where and how creatures can be released?

It would appear the RSPB need to build up to rear and release, making sure the publicity is in place that will serve their financial needs first and foremost and in the case of the beavers this is ably demonstrated, as their reintroduction is a precursor to calling for the building of visitor centres and amenities to cater for the hoped for influx of tourists coming to view the animals.

A deliberate exploitation of not only the beaver release but the cash that can be made from them.

This is not so much about nature per se. This is also about tourism and milking the public purse from every angle.

Most of the locals in the immediate area didn’t approve of the beaver releases but with the questionable backing of Nature Scot the RSPB went ahead with this. Had it been for capercaillie no-one would have objected.

Nature Scot and the RSPB have gone out of their way, using various excuses that could be overcome if they were willing, to block any chance of reintroducing capercaillie, a species with no introduction objections from the public. This would be a relatively cheap operation if stakeholders/landowners were involved.

Why is this?

Bert Burnett is a retired gamekeeper with more than fifty years involved in gamekeeping.