After some serious thought I feel the need to write and support our local MP Chris Loder, regarding the fiasco about the deaths of White Tailed Eagles.

I feel that it is about time our farmers and the farming community were treated with more respect. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country and to be able to enjoy it in so many ways. To a large extent, it is due to our farmers that the countryside is maintained in such a beautiful way.

Unfortunately, enough thought doesn’t seem to go into the long term repercussions of reintroducing species into our modern life. We cannot reintroduce animals, whether of the feathered variety or not, before looking at the overall effect of what that will do to those in existence now. By focusing on one species without considering the impact on other creatures can be catastrophic.

You only have to look at the situation that protecting the badger has done to other wildlife, as the badger has no creature, other than human beings, to keep its numbers under control. Hence the decline of hedgehogs and the destruction of ground nesting birds' eggs and fledglings. Chris Loder has rightly pointed out the horrific results the White Eagle has had on farmers and crofters in Scotland, where healthy sheep and lambs are being killed by them.

I also read that one person says that Chris’s opinion may be supported by some farmers but they are not representative of the majority of Dorset residents. Yes, tourism is also big business in Dorset but I believe that the majority of folk come here because of our beautiful countryside, not because of the chance to spot a a rare bird.

Chris also points out that drug crime and livestock attacks should require attention first. We know that the police are under a lot of pressure with not enough resources of one kind or another. Is it really more important to investigate the death of one White Tailed Eagle in Dorset than to protect our community from drug related crimes, etc.?

Carol Hall

Bridport