Solway Coast: Bid to introduce white-tailed eagle to Cumbria

There are hopes Britain's largest native bird of prey could be reintroduced to the Solway Coast.

The white-tailed eagle was once common in the county more than 100 years ago but persecution and habitat changes led to their extinction in the UK.

A pre-feasibility study assessing the habitat's suitability has finished, although any plans could take years.

Dr Alex Dittrich from the University of Cumbria said the introduction of the predator was "tricky and contentious".

The birds, also known as sea eagles, can have a wingspan of up to 8ft (2.5m).

While there are successful breeding programmes in parts of Scotland, conservation work has been carried out to reintroduce them on the Isle of Wight.

The initial study looked at the suitability of the North Cumbria habitat as well as potential ecological impacts of introducing the birds, which could lead to a tourism boost.

"Part of the work is to weigh those economic benefits against everything else," said Dr Dittrich, a senior lecturer in zoology, who is involved in the project.

"The public seem to want them back and so do we."

He told BBC Radio Cumbria that while there are positive areas around reintroducing them, there were "potentially negative" ones too.

"The evidence for predation, particularly on young lambs, is there - there is some evidence to suggest they do it," he said.

"But the evidence to suggest that they prey on healthy lambs is somewhat lacking.

"They are quite lazy and they will generally feed on sick and dying animals."

Mark Jenkinson, Conservative MP for Workington, said the project could take "years to develop" and involves "significant consultation", including with the local farming community.

"It was persecuted and wiped out by man," he said.

"I feel a responsibility to reintroduce these magnificent birds to what was one of the last places that they inhabited in mainland England."

The next stage of the plans is dependent on funding.

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