Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – I read Jim Crumley’s article on beavers with interest.
Jim is well known for his promotion of the reintroduction of beavers to Scotland, but I feel he is ignoring the evidence from other parts of the world.
An article in a recent edition of National Geographic magazine highlighted the problems now being experienced in South America from a similar exercise. Apparently the animals are causing so much destruction to forests that they are having to be culled in vast numbers.This has also been reported in the UK press.
Advanced Conservation Strategies, an international conservation agency, have stated that “millions of acres of forest area have been devastated”, since just 50 beavers were introduced in Tierra Del Fuego in the 1940s in attempts to establish a fur trade.
The animals, despite trapping, have reproduced to the tens of thousands and spread throughout southern South America.
A massive culling process is now necessary to protect forest land, at a cost of multi-millions of dollars.
Reintroduction of native species sounds heart warming, but sadly the human footprint on nature has changed the environment so much that we will not be reintroducing animals into the environment they once had, but into one completely different, and probably totally unsuitable.
Fifty beavers doesn’t seem many, but in just 70 years they have become completely out of control in Argentina and Chile, are devastating their environment, and are having to be eradicated.
Is this the legacy Jim Crumley wants to make for Scotland?
(Captain) Ian F. McRae.17 Broomwell Gardens,Monikie.
Roots of greed on Wall Street
Sir, – I have always wondered about the machinery that drives global stock markets.
I have concluded the whole rotten system is driven for political power and reasons of greed from America, Wall Street being the cauldron from which the world’s monetary problems emanate.
Unfortunately, many world banking establishments, in their greed, followed the American “get rich quick” system, like sheep.
Standard and Poors, the American credit establishment, has the effrontery to dictate as to which country can or cannot get fair rates of interest.
Most of these establishments work hand in hand with an American political system that continues to favour the affluent.
With the rise in wealth of the nations in the Eastern hemisphere, why do the US military want to hold “exercises” in international waters off China?
Illegal wars, often waged in the interest of US concerns, can continue to rely on Wall Street and its political partners to foot the bills.
Internet control by the US government is the latest in a long list of control freakery threatening the freedom of speech of their own citizens and that of others around the world.
Since the Wall Street crash of the 1930s, lessons have not been learned and the same greed and political manipulation still remains.
Perhaps the emerging markets in the Far East may bring some sanity into the world of the moneymen and the new competition they supply will hopefully loosen Wall Street’s stranglehold on the world’s stockmarkets.
Bob Harper.63a Pittenweem Road,Anstruther.
Losing control of our destiny
Sir, – One-third of Britain’s water, telecommunications, energy and transport networks is now foreign-owned; so says the Office of Fair Trading.
Last week China bit off nearly one-tenth ownership of Thames Water, the UK’s largest water supplier.
Closer to home I noticed on the same day as the water purchase was announced the flag of the People’s Republic of China was flying beside the Saltire over the offices of Todd and Duncan, Loch Leven Mills, Kinross a world-class producer of cashmere yarns.
The firm goes back to profound Scottish roots in Kinross 140 years ago and was brought to international eminence before his retirement by Second World War Spitfire ace Sir Alan Smith.
Have we got to accept that control of our economy and ultimately our very lives is slipping away from us piecemeal?
Alastair Harper.House of Gask,Lathalmond.
Tragic vision of the future
Sir, – The sickening video of a magnificent soaring griffon vulture being felled by a wind turbine on the island of Crete is a portent of what Scottish raptors face if the proliferation of Scottish windfarms is allowed to continue.
Stephen Grieve.Nethergate,Crail.
Parking charges hit rural folk
Sir, – I read with dismay the proposal by Perth and Kinross Council to yet again raise parking charges by more than the rate of inflation.
Every recent price rise has been 10p – let the council restrict the amount to 5p this time.
Garry Barnett.Campsie Hill,Guildtown.
No right to lay down the law
Sir, – Sir Fred Goodwin should rightly lose his honour and this should equally apply to those so-called noble Lords, particularly those who have been imprisoned for crimes and also those who have brought shame upon their fellow peers by fiddling their expenses.
Why are such individuals allowed to make laws which govern our conduct, when their own leaves much to be desired?
John McDonald.14 Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.