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The Fulmar

If pine marten are such a problem for capercaillie, as the GWCT and SGA claim, then they need to answer a very pertinent question. In Deeside and Donside, which has quite a number of stands of ancient Caledonian pinewoods, but where many driven grouse estates predominate, pine martens are almost completely absent. This is in all probability due to historic and ongoing illegal persecution of this magnificent species, though obviously they would never admit this. However the surprising thing is that this is also the place where capercaillie are doing worst in Scotland, existing on the absolute brink of local extinction in the very area where pine martens are kept at bay.
Now let's turn to Strathspey, where pine martens are approaching normal densities of ecological balance without illegal human interference. Here capercaillie have their greatest stronghold in Scotland. Productivity of capercaillie chicks is, of course, slightly lower where pine martens are present, but they are still enough to sustain the healthiest numbers of Scotland's capercaillie population.
Why might this be? Why are capercaillie going extinct where no martens are present, and remain abundant where martens are present in their highest densities? This demonstrably reveals that pine marten eradication is not the solution for capercaillie conservation. Any attempt to argue otherwise is just a smokescreen for the hatred of predators, and martens in particular, which are a natural and necessary part of any healthy, functioning Highland ecosystem! Shame on SNH and CNPA if they even countenance such a flawed proposal by the GWCT!

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