Unalaska, AK – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking into the bald eagle problem in Unalaska. The federal agency is in charge of managing the species and has received several reports of eagles attacking pedestrians near the Dutch Harbor post office, the clinic, and on the Captains Bay Road between Westward and the bridge. A Fish & Wildlife biologist plans on coming to town to investigate the nests this week. Fish & Wildlife spokesperson Bruce Woods says that landowners can remove nests if they apply for special permits.

"There are permits to remove eagle nests when the eagles are no longer using them," he says. "There are also cases where there are serious risks to human health, and depredation permits do allow the nests to be taken down even if it does have chicks in it."

However the permitting process can be lengthy. Woods suggests that in the meantime, people take measures to protect themselves, such as walking in groups and avoiding certain areas. People can park and enter the post office from the gas station side instead of where the nest is. But if certain areas cannot be avoided, he suggests people wear head protection, like hard hats, or carry a stick above their heads.

"Often the eagles will see this and want to avoid flying into it, so they won't come as close," Woods says.

However, he says that people should not try to swing the stick and hurt the eagles. Current federal law does not allow people to injure eagles in self-defense, but that does not mean a person would be prosecuted.

"In the real world, we're not in the business of trying to prosecute someone who's protecting," Woods says.

Woods says eagle attacks are usually rare and only occur when people get too close to nests with young.

If you are attacked by an eagle, report the incident to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 907-786-3309.