Livestock farmers in desperation over wolves

UPGALL (the union of Livestock Farmers Affected by Wolves) is at the end of its tether over the government’s approach to ‘conservation of the Iberian Wolf’.

Spokesperson Orlando Gonçalves tells Lusa that it appears, from recent statements, that the government is considering increasing protections for the wolf. This has gone down like a lead balloon “among those living the constant nightmare of this malignant tumour of extensive livestock farming”, he said – suggesting it was fuelled by “wolf psychosis”.

Farmers went to parliament last month in a bid to expose “the tragedy” affecting them – even inviting members of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and the Maritime Affairs to visit them, and see for themselves.

The invitation is for June 23 – the annual date for the branding of wild Garrano horses in the Santa Luzia mountains, in Viana do Castelo.

Orlando Gonçalves hopes the Minister of Agriculture will participate “so that he can see ‘in loco’ the benefits of the wolf for the preservation of the Garrano”.

“The herd used to number around a thousand, but breeders say that this year they might not even find 300,” he explains, adding that UPGALL “receives photos every week of animals killed and mauled by wolves”.

Researchers have concluded that Garrano horses could account for up to 80% of the Iberian wolf’s diet in some areas of north-western Portugal and Spain – which puts added pressure on this already threatened native species.

A press release from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) has suggested that Garranos act as a form of “buffer prey, helping to reduce predation on economically valuable livestock species such as cows, goats and sheep” – which means in increasing protections for one ‘threatened native species’, the government would be effectively be reducing them for another.

As for the statements that are worrying UPGALL, these refer to a new ‘decree-law’ in the making, which environment minister Maria da Graça Carvalho has said environmentalists can “rest assured” will increase protections for the Iberian Wolf.

Source: LUSA

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.