The Minister of Agriculture said today that the shepherds are absolutely right about the losses caused by the Iberian wolf to the flocks, and that the Government is doing everything to compensate them.
“The shepherds are absolutely right. I have already said that we cannot put the shepherd to work for the wolf. The shepherd must have his income,” said José Manuel Fernandes.
The official, who spoke on the margins of a forum on extensive shepherding that took place today in Arcos de Valdevez, in the district of Viana do Castelo, said that he has been working together with the Minister of the Environment in order to find measures to compensate the shepherds.
Around a dozen cattle breeders from the Northern region gathered today at the door of Casa das Artes, where the forum took place, and, when the minister was giving statements to journalists, they interrupted him, saying that the problem will only be solved by removing Iberian wolves, a protected species.
José Manuel Fernandes said that he has “worked together with the Minister of the Environment and Energy” to find solutions that mitigate the situation.
He pointed to the case “of the indemnities that were updated,” increasing “to three times” the amount paid to shepherds so far.
“Now it is no use increasing to three times or to ten times if they do not arrive in time. The Minister of the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who is an ally of agriculture and territorial cohesion, gave the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) 30 days to analyze additional measures,” he added.
The “additional measures” include the existence of natural prey for the wolf, the implementation of fences to protect the herds, the support of dogs, but the Minister of Agriculture stated that it is necessary to consider the specificities of each region to implement them.
“I insist strongly on this word: specificities. It is not possible to put fences everywhere, it is not possible to have dogs in all places and, therefore, we must have here a strong action, this is what we have implemented, regarding the shepherds who are absolutely essential,” he pointed out.
José Manuel Fernandes stressed that “the shepherd puts food on the table, guarantees food security, does biodiversity work, with the reduction of combustible material, decreasing the risk of fires.”
“This is not always recognized, and sometimes we do not always recognize this value, and this work, as I have said, which are public goods, European public goods, contribute to soil quality, to water quality, to environmental sustainability, to territorial cohesion,” he said.
Addressing the Minister of Agriculture, the spokesperson for the Union of Producers of Cattle Damaged by Wolves (UPGALL) said that he still believes that José Manuel Fernandes can help them, a hope they had stopped having in the Environment Minister.
