Current policy in Norway promotes a ‘two-fold objective’ of ensuring sustainable carnivore populations while concurrently sustaining active and viable grazing. As only three percent of the total land area is arable, outfield grazing has been and still is crucial for animal husbandry. In many regions, sheep farmers experience high losses due to large carnivores. The adaptive capacities and adaption strategies of the grazing industries are thus of core interest. We have studied the experiences of farmers and their adaptations using in-depth interviews with twenty sheep farmers from the regional county of Hedmark, an area of heavy predation with three to four active large carnivore species. The sample of farmers was selected to cover a range of situations, such as: farmers within carnivore prioritized areas and grazing prioritized areas, various age groups (<40, 40 - 55, 55<) and farm size/number of sheep. The farmers interviewed ranged in age from 29 to 70 years old.
Interview data reveals various adaptation strategies:
- A majority take part in systematic herding collaboration.
- Exploration of technological solutions: Half of the farmers are using technological devices with GPS, which has eased herding and finding cadavers, but it cannot prevent carnivore attacks.
- Ending/reducing outfield grazing: Within prioritized carnivore areas farmers were obliged to end outfield grazing and move the sheep to infield (fenced-in) grazing. Due to high losses, also within grazing prioritized areas, several farmers have either reduced the period of outfield grazing or ended outfield grazing and often reduced the size of the herd. They experience more work input, poorer animal health, higher expenses (medication, buying of additional feed), and they believe they will be the last generation of sheep farmers.
- Changing to other types of production: Some do have other alternatives, and some are entitled to subsidies for conversion to other types of production. However, for many, utilization of the outfield resources is of crucial importance.
- Maintaining sheep farming as a resistance strategy: some want to defend their outfield grazing rights. Without exercising their grazing rights, they fear they eventually will be lost.
Some cannot handle the psychological strain and quit. Several reported sleep deprivation, anxiety and reduced life quality. Available time for farm maintenance is reduced because of the increased workload from looking for injured (the most difficult task) and dead animals and reporting it to the authorities. Previously, collecting the livestock in autumn was a major family event, now children are kept away from the gathering.
Sabotage, harassment and a variety of threats from carnivore conservationists were reported. Many farmers find themselves in the frontline of a struggle between conservationists having little to lose personally and families that have their basis for existence or way of life at stake. The lack of acknowledgement of their situation as the ones who carry the costs of society’s conservation policies becomes an additional burden.
Topics: Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Large Carnivores in Europe
