Latvian Commission Continues to Consider Establishing a Peace Period for Logging During Bird Nesting

On Tuesday, members of the National Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional Policy Commission of the Saeima decided to continue considering citizens’ submissions regarding the establishment of a peace period for logging during bird nesting after receiving proposals from the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM).

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Viesturs Ķerus, chairman of the board of the Latvian Ornithological Society (LOB) and the initiator of the application, called on the members to support the proposal to limit logging and care of young birds from April 1 to June 30, when intensive bird nesting takes place.

He pointed out that according to LOB data, approximately 50,900 bird nests are physically destroyed in the forests of Latvia every year.

At the same time, Žanis Bacāns, member of the board of the Latvian Timber Sellers Association, emphasized that the European Union (EU) directive on the protection of wild birds emphasizes compliance with proportionate and essential rules.

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He explained that during the three-month period recommended by Ķerus, logging takes place on less than 1% of Latvia’s territory, so it should be assessed whether the establishment of a peace period will provide a significant benefit in relation to industry workers who will lose their jobs for three months.

Also, Bacāns emphasized that forestry in Latvia takes place in certified forests, where the fulfillment of requirements is monitored by third parties, thus making it necessary to comply with the prerequisites of all logging, as well as the owners of Latvian forests respect nature and reduce economic activity, balancing social responsibility and economic benefit. He also expressed doubts about the amount of destroyed bird’s nests, as destroyed bird’s nests are rarely seen in logging.

Arnis Muižnieks, chairman of the board of the Association of Latvian Forest Owners, emphasized that forest owners already have restrictions on bird protection. He also emphasized that establishing a peace period would mean that a part of the forest sector would remain without work for three months, so it is necessary to carry out a socio-economic evaluation.

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Member of Parliament Ingmārs Līdaka (AS) emphasized that currently, in mixed tree forests, there are baby birds in every second aspen cavity and loggers cannot notice them. “If someone doesn’t know how to find those nests, then it’s their problem, not the bird’s,” stressed Pike.

He called on the industry to look at this issue gradually and start “small”, adapting to the situation and the needs of the industry.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Latvian Wood Industry Federation (LKF) Artūrs Bukonts emphasized that the peace period would affect the entire wood industry, as the decision directly concerns resource extraction, which is then transferred to processing and manufacturers.

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He also noted that this type of restriction would slow down the interest of foreign investors in the industry.

Ligita Brahmane, the deputy chairperson of the Latvian Forest Industry Trade Union, explained that forest industry employees would have a limited right to work for three months. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the economic consequences and whether entrepreneurs would be able to provide idleness benefits to employees. She noted that 40,000 people work in the forest sector, and the same number work in related industries.

At the end of the meeting, the chairman of the commission, Linda Mattisone, proposed that since the members of the commission do not support a complete ban on activities during bird nesting, a balance must be found and the Ministry of Interior and VARAM must sit at the same negotiating table, invite non-governmental organizations and stakeholders, and find a compromise in order to protect national economies. interests of timber industry, forest owners and animal and nature defenders.

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The members of the commission offered to set a deadline for the submission of the proposal in the fall of this year, but the director of the Ministry of Forestry Department, Arvīds Ozols, called for the deadline to be extended until next spring or at least winter.

Mattison suggested that the proposals be prepared by the end of the year.

LOB board chairman Ķerus, evaluating the agreement reached at the commission meeting, admits that realistically, this decision was the best that could have been expected from the commission.

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The future will largely depend on how conscientiously the decision will be carried out and how much the Saeima members will be interested in monitoring the execution of this task. In the worst case, we can once again return to where it was exactly ten years ago, when the LOB working group led by the Ministry of the Interior was tasked with conducting in-depth calculations, but the idea of ​​establishing a logging break was rejected without any search for compromises, reminds Ķerus.

The LOB brought up the need to determine a break in logging during bird nesting already in 2008, pointing out that tens of thousands of bird nests die every year when the forest is cut in the spring, and the nesting of those birds, including specially protected species, whose nests are physically destroyed, is significantly disturbed. doesn’t work. Destroying bird nests violates common laws of both Latvia and the European Union. In addition, as shown by surveys conducted by “Latvijas fakti”, 80% of the Latvian population as a whole and 77% of forest owners support determining a logging break during bird nesting.

Ķerus explains that LOB knows that many forest owners do not cut their forests during bird nesting, and is very grateful to them for that. LOB also knows that in some forests, for example, in cities and specially protected natural areas, logging during bird nesting is already limited.

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However, in the spring, the state forests managed by JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” are still cut down, destroying more than 50,000 nests every spring. A number of companies that manage private forests also do not support the establishment of a peace period for logging. Therefore, this problem is still relevant. “We are aware that determining a logging break will cause difficulties for the forest industry, but it would be important to clearly formulate these problems and jointly seek solutions for them, rather than categorically advocate the preservation of forest management practices that are harmful to nature,” Ķerus emphasizes.

The photo is for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Uldis Varnevičs, “Bauskas Dzīves” archive.