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Action to help red squirrels
11/05/2008
Further action to tackle the threat grey squirrels pose to their red cousins, including the deadly squirrelpox carried by the greys, was outlined today.
Four additional Grey Squirrel Control Officers are to be employed in Forestry Commission woodlands in the south of Scotland, where grey squirrels are most prevalent.
As well as displacing red squirrels, non-native invasive greys have also brought the potentially devastating squirrelpox virus to Scotland. Evidence suggests that grey squirrels carry a natural immunity to the virus whilst red squirrels do not.
Minister for Environment Michael Russell called on the public sector, private landowners and the science community to quickly form a united front against squirrelpox to stop the virus spreading further.
Mr Russell said
"The red squirrel is an increasingly rare sight around much of Scotland but as an iconic species we must do everything we can to protect them. That means effectively controlling the grey squirrel population and the squirrelpox it carries.
"I want to see a joined-up approach to tackling this potentially devastating virus, with everyone playing a full and equal part. We are all in this together.
"The Scottish Government will continue to support action being taken by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry Commission Scotland to control greys and manage the spread of squirrelpox. We are also funding the Moredun Research Institute's work to try and develop a vaccine for red squirrels.
"In addition, the Commission will now be employing four staff in the south of Scotland to step up the fight against grey squirrels. This comes on top of two control officers already employed in the area by SNH.
"I want private landowners to play their part by co-operating with the squirrelpox surveillance programme and would also encourage them to consider applying for funding from the Scotland Rural Development Programme. The programme includes funds for controlling invasive non-native species, including grey squirrels."
Mr Russell met with representatives from across the public and private sectors, plus scientists and experts, in Dumfries on Friday to specifically discuss the threat of squirrelpox.
The squirrelpox virus is considered to have originated from grey squirrels transported from North America. Evidence suggests that grey squirrels carry a natural immunity to it whilst red squirrels do not.
Squirrelpox virus was first detected in grey squirrels in May 2006. Four red squirrels died of squirrelpox virus at the Castlemilk estate, near Lockerbie, in September 2007. These were the first red squirrels to be recorded with the disease in Scotland. Two dead red squirrels were submitted from Thornhill estate on March 13, 2008 to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for post-mortem analysis. Blood was sampled for these animals and both the post-mortem and analysis confirmed, in late April, that these animals had died of squirrelpox virus.
The route by which the virus is transmitted between grey squirrels or between grey and red squirrels is, at present, unknown. The Scottish Government is currently funding the Moredun Research Institute on a three-year contract to investigate this and the possibility of developing a vaccine for red squirrels. This work began in autumn 2007.
Forestry Commission Scotland will employ four Grey Squirrel Control Officers at a cost of £140,000.