EAGLES set to be introduced on the Isle of Wight are so large they could attack livestock and fly off with lambs and other small animals, Isle of Wight farmers have said.

Farmers across the Island have raised fears for the safety of livestock after proposals to introduce a population of white tailed eagles to the Isle of Wight.

The white tailed sea eagle is one of the largest birds of prey on the planet, with a wingspan of up to 8 ft.

They were once widespread across Britain, but were wiped out as a result of persecution in 1918.

The large birds of prey were introduced to Scotland in the mid 1970s and settled on Mull where they have been known to kill perfectly healthy lambs during breeding season to such an extent that the Scottish government has had to pay out compensation to farmers.

Speaking to the County Press, Matt Legge, county chairman of the National Farmers' Union on the Isle of Wight, said: "These birds will lift 2 or 3kg lambs no problem and will attack others on the ground.

"Although they are sea eagles, they only fish on flat water and, if it is cold, the fish will swim lower and that is when they go inland to forage, which is when it becomes a problem for livestock and wildlife.

"There are a lot of unknowns in this project and the team behind it need to provide a lot more reassurance than they have so far.

"They haven't been able to explain how problems will be handled if there is a bird attacking livestock.

"There is very little you can do once they are here because they are a protected species, so you can't cull them if they become a problem.

"We have been speaking to colleagues up in Scotland about the issues they have faced from these birds."

A meeting, hosted by the NFU in conjunction with the project team at the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry Commission, saw attendees vote unanimously against the idea of introducing the apex predators to the Island.

"The project team didn't seem to have answers to concerns," Mr Legge added.

A spokesperson for the project team at the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry Commission said: "We are confident that white tailed eagles are not a threat to domestic pets. They will mainly feed on the plentiful fish and water birds around the coast of the Island, as well as scavenging carrion, and we do not consider lambs to be at risk, especially given the careful husbandry and protection they receive in lowland England.

"We continue to engage with local groups to work through any concerns, including the NFU in Newport.

"We subsequently visited the Netherlands and spoke with the Dutch researchers working with white tailed eagles.

"There, the eagles live in wetlands close to people and to farms, and there have been no conflicts with farming interests, or a negative impact on domestic or other species.

"These birds spend a great deal of time scavenging and are generalist feeders, taking the most abundant prey; mostly water birds and fish.

"We are certain that the farming and wildlife situation on the Isle of Wight is far more similar to the Netherlands and unlike sheep farming in western Scotland where the landscape is very different.

"We do however recognise the concerns of sheep farmers, and together with the NFU recently undertook a farm visit and organised a meeting with local farmers.

"If the project went ahead, a local person with good contacts with the farming community would be appointed and we shall be liaising closely with the NFU and other relevant stakeholders through all stages of the project.

"A similar approach has been taken in Ireland where white tailed eagles have also been reintroduced.

"Opposition and scrutiny is to be expected when changes happen, but close liaison with the farming community helped to allay the initial fears and attitudes have now completely changed.

"Many farmers now contribute sightings of the birds, and now that the eagles are established and breeding, most have a neutral to positive view of the project.

"We firmly believe that, in time, this would also be the case on the Isle of Wight.

"There has been great enthusiasm across the Island and elsewhere for the white tailed eagle reintroduction, which was included in the government’s 25 year environment plan in 2018 and we believe that if the project was to go ahead there would be many far reaching benefits for the Isle of Wight and that, in time, the Island would become very proud of its eagles."

Concerns were also raised for the red squirrel population on the Island, but the spokesperson said there was no threat to red squirrels.

"These are large birds that are not agile flyers and so could not weave through the trees to take squirrels from branches. There has been no evidence of red squirrel predation in parts of Scotland where the two species occur together."