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20:32, November 25, 2021
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On the farm in Naukšēni, six taur cows may have to be eliminated because their owner is unable to meet the requirements for keeping such animals, which, in his opinion, is disproportionate, the agency LETA found out.
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Dainis Ozols, the owner of the Jungas farm, recently announced on the social network Facebook that it is time to say goodbye to the taur cows, which were brought from the pastures of Pape Nature Park 15 years ago with the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
According to him, such an action must be decided, because within a reasonable budget it is not possible to meet the requirements of the law against such “wild animals”, but they do not want to pay penalties.
The regional television channel ReTV reported that although taur cows live in the wild, they are treated as livestock under Latvian law.
ReTV Ozols has explained that in this case the requirements are difficult to comply with, because when calves are born, they have to pierce their ears. Capturing animals is practically impossible, because taurgovis, living in the wild, are wild and very fiercely defend calves.
These animals must also have blood tests every three years to see if they have any infectious diseases. The oak has explained that due to the strong nature of the animals, it is almost impossible to do so, because the taur cow cannot be driven into the dams.
Even if it succeeds, veterinarians have acknowledged that such animals cannot be handled, and it would be costly and seemingly pointless to sleep in taur cows every three years.
A week ago, there were specialists from the Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) on the farm and the owner was informed of the shortcomings in the animal records for years. The landlord is now given a month to rectify the deficiencies, otherwise a penalty will follow.
The Nature Protection Board (DAP) explained to LETA that large herbivores are an important tool for creating a biologically diverse and aesthetically high-quality landscape, which is increasingly being implemented in Latvia both through non-governmental organizations and various projects.
However, large herbivores are not wild animals, as it is erroneously mentioned in the communication of social networks.
In this case, the task of the taur cows is to manage the meadows. Like other farm animals – cows, sheep, goats, horses – they are kept in pens, where they feed on the meadow. Consequently, taur cows are subject to exactly the same requirements as any other farm animal, according to the DAP.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is responsible for defining these requirements, while the FVS is responsible for monitoring compliance with the requirements.
Although large herbivores are not the only way to manage biologically valuable grasslands, their assistance is very important in areas such as where it is difficult to manage lawns with machinery.
The DPO has already provided recommendations to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Support Service on the differentiation of support payments, envisaging a proportionally higher payment for the maintenance of biological diversity in grasslands, if large herbivores are used for this purpose. This could motivate the maintenance of such herds.
At present, large herbivore owners are eligible for two payments: a grassland biodiversity payment calculated on the basis of the class and area of the grassland, and a livestock payment if it is registered in the Agricultural Data Center and the necessary accounting requirements have been met.
If farmers of cattle want to receive both payments for their herd, they must meet all the requirements of the law, similarly to the owners of other livestock, emphasizes the DAP.
In response to the situation, the Latvian Green Party (LZP) has called for the abolition of “unenforceable conditions” for maintaining herds of wild cows in order to stop their “absurd destruction”.
According to Līga Bulmeistere, a representative of the Latvian Council of Science LETA, due to shortcomings in the legislation, the herds of wild herds do not have an appropriate status, but the maintenance of these animals is very important for the maintenance of Latvia’s biodiversity, the party points out. “This has led to the slaughter of these animals in recent days, which has not been able to cope with pressure from the state.”
LZP calls on the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development to find a solution immediately and to “stop” this madness. LZP Saeima deputies from the Greens and Farmers’ Union (ZZS) will address changes in the regulatory framework to the MoA and Saeima commissions, politicians promise.
The party’s statement explains that the problem is caused by the requirements of veterinary supervision, which requires regular blood tests and identification marks to be placed on the animals’ bodies.
“These actions are not feasible and dangerous to humans, because taurgovis are wild animals with great mass and strength. The process of these circles coming into regular contact with humans is also at odds with the natural instincts of wildlife, ”explains LZP.
The party points out that, as the law has not been formally complied with, fines, area payments and other sanctions have been imposed on herd keepers.
“Instead of simply resolving the issue and increasing the population of taur cows, doing good to nature and making people happy, the process of destroying historic wildlife has begun. This is completely unacceptable, ”Pēteris Dimants, a member of the LZP board and an organic farmer and a deer garden owner, expresses his readiness to welcome taurgovis.
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