Edward Mountain condemns rewilding charities over 'the Lynx effect'
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain has called out rewilding charities for their ongoing campaign to reintroduce the Eurasian Lynx to the Highlands, saying “the last thing the Highlands needs is the Lynx effect.”
Mr Mountain has claimed that any reintroduction could undermine efforts to save threatened species such as Capercaillie and provide unhelpful competition to conservation efforts to save the Wildcat.
It comes after MSPs heard proposals to bring lynx back to Scotland as part of a ‘wildlife comeback’ at an event in the Scottish Parliament hosted by GreensHighlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess.
She went on to claim that “an in-depth survey of communities in Argyll and Cairngorms National Park” revealed a wide range of views “with 79 per cent not opposed to lynx reintroduction.”
'Some major barriers'
But the survey in question – called Lynx to Scotland – was more nuanced than that after 116 interviews were conducted and came to five findings based on its research and showed a wide range of opinion.
Some people were very supportive of reintroducing the Lynx but felt Scotland was not ready, others were totally against it and that too was reflected as the survey acknowledged.
The survey stated: “There are some major barriers that need to be satisfactorily addressed before it is appropriate to proceed with a trial lynx reintroduction.”
The Lynx effect
Mr Mountain agreed: “The last thing the Highlands needs is the Lynx effect. I see very little appetite for the reintroduction of this species from those who actually manage our countryside.
“This agenda is being pushed by rewilding organisations which are fixated on single species and the reforestation of the Highlands.
“We shouldn’t forget that previous attempts to reintroduce species have not come without their problems, such as the uncontrolled introduction of Beavers on the Tay which have caused many flooding problems and damage along the river.
“Instead of reintroducing the lynx we need to prioritise conservation efforts for the species that we are in danger of losing, such as the Wildcat, Capercaillie and other ground nesting birds. Adding another predator into the mix is unlikely to help these threatened species.”
Reintroducing the lynx will help nature
Ms Burgess said: “David Attenborough’s Wild Isles broadcast an unavoidable message: the UK’s nature is in trouble, but we can still save it if we act now. One key way to help nature is by reintroducing lynx: an apex predator that does not threaten humans but helps restore functioning ecosystems.
“Across mainland Europe, lynx are staging a comeback. Is Scotland going to sit back and miss out on the benefits that lynx can bring?
“As well as boosting our natural world, lynx can be a boon for local economies through increased tourism, reducing damage to farmers’ crops from smaller animals, and keeping deer numbers in check.
“Any trial introduction must work closely with rural communities, and I’m glad that this work has already started through the Lynx to Scotland focal groups in Argyll and Cairngorms National Park.”
