The herd of goats that cleave along steep mountain sides on Kvist between Høyanger and Balestrand, have little idea of all the commotion they have had in recent months. Because after the Norwegian Food Safety Authority decided that the herd of nearly 60 animals should be euthanized, there has been a hail of protests from all over the country. The goat herd at Kvist The goat herd at Kvist consists of approximately 50–60 animals. The herd originates from about 18 cows that had offspring and were gradually released into the wild when the rest of the herd was sent to slaughter in the 70s. There have been repeated demands for proper supervision, feeding, protection against weather/climate and predator attacks and targeted breeding work to avoid inbreeding in the herd. The animal owners have not been able to fulfill these requirements and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s Sunnfjord and Sogn department has therefore decided to close down the goat keeping in order to prevent future suffering for the animals in the herd. The decision to discontinue animal keeping was made on 1 July 2022 and with a deadline of 15 May 2024. Source: Norwegian Food Safety Authority Both private individuals, politicians and animal protection organizations have advocated that the animals, which have lived freely and wild outside for probably 90 years, should be allowed to live. The case has also ended up in the Storting. Based on three complaints from animal protection organisations, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has gone through an extra round on the matter. New assessment of the case Dyrenes Rett, Noah and the Animal Protection have several arguments in their complaints. They think the goats are healthy and that it is not necessary to kill them. They argue that the animals get enough food, and that they have lived wild for at least 50 years and cannot be compared to ordinary farm animals. “The fact that animals stray and live like wild animals is no reason to kill them”, writes Dyrenes Rett. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority does not agree. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has gone an extra round, but still stands its ground. This is according to Gro Eliassen, head of department in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s Sunnfjord and Sogn department. Photo: Ole Kristian Svalheim / news – The reason for the decision was that animal welfare in the herd was not good enough. We have gone through the case again and still stand by the decision to liquidate. That’s according to Gro Eliassen, head of department in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s Sunnfjord and Sogn department. The last word in the matter has not yet been said. Now the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s appeals division must go through the case again and make its own independent assessment. And their decisions cannot be appealed. Not surprisingly, Anne Johanne Bjordal in Animal Protection Sogn og Fjordane lives in the area where the wild goats live. She is not surprised by the decision. – I expected them to land on this. Since the animals fall under the rules for domestic animals, there are some rather strict rules that apply, says Bjordal. Anne Johanne Bjordal in Animal Protection does not agree with the decision, but is not surprised. Photo: Privat She adds that it is important that the rules for domestic animals apply, because if an exception is made here, it could be bad for other domestic animals. The solution for the goats to be allowed to live must be to define those who mislead animals, and not livestock, she believes. – The Norwegian Food Safety Authority based its decision on the fact that there is poor animal welfare. Can one just skip over that decision? – I think the goats live a nice and free life, but a hard life. But that’s why I think we have to look at what we should define the herd as, she says. Bjordal is happy that people have committed themselves to the goats, but in some cases it has gone a little too far, she thinks: – Especially in the beginning, people were very upset here, and it became quite intense. Some have brought kittens with them, and that is not good. It only proves the Food Safety Authority’s case that the animals are unprotected after birth. Bjordal has no hope that the appeals unit of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will change the decision. Have not complained about the decision Goat owner Birger Olav Sørebø has no comment on the latest decision of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. But he has previously said that he was happy that they wanted to go an extra round in the case. Birger Olav Sørebø owns the goat herd. He has supervised the goats and given them additional feed every week during the winter, but it has not been enough for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news – Several people have contacted and said they want to help supervise the goats. They will feed them in the terrain and some will take them into their barns, says Sørebø. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority writes in its decision that they cannot look into potential drivers of animal husbandry, and that so far there have been no concrete proposals as to who this might be. Furthermore, they write that Sørebø has not complained about the decision. Høyanger mayor Petter Sortland says he understands that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority must relate to current owners, and not potential owners. – In that case, these must know their visiting hours, he says and adds that the municipality does not have the opportunity to become goat herders. – But I wish the Norwegian Food Safety Authority had come to a different conclusion in view of the great public involvement, says Sortland.
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The Norwegian Food Safety Authority does not listen to the storm of complaints – will still kill “wild goats” – news Vestland
