The case in summary: The farmers in Fjord municipality on Sunnmøre call the wolverine’s ravages a massacre. This year alone, the wolverine has taken 650 lambs, according to the industry’s own counts. The wolf has taken as many lambs in Fjord and the neighboring municipality of Rauma alone as in the rest of the country combined. The farmers demand that it be allowed to shoot more wolverines. The wolverine population has increased sharply in recent years. The Minister of Agriculture has little concrete promise, but says that there must be fewer wolves in the area. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Cute little lambs bouncing around in the pasture are a sure sign of spring in many parts of the country. In Fjord municipality on Sunnmøre, it has become a nightmare. For this year alone, the wolverine has supplied itself with 650 of the lambs, according to the counts of the industry itself. – The grazing season is supposed to be the highlight of the year for both people and animals, but then it ends up being a massacre, says Kristin Gilje Sandnes. She is responsible for predators in the Møre og Romsdal farming association. Video: Tone Grønningsæter and Ivar Sommer Od As many as in the rest of the country combined According to the Farmers Association, wolves have killed as many lambs in the two neighboring municipalities of Fjord and Rauma alone – as in the entire rest of the country combined. Every summer, the sheep are released into grazing areas in the mountains. But fewer and fewer are coming home. Kristian Indreeide is a sheep farmer in Fjord. He has never before missed so many lambs after the grazing season. Photo: Øyvind Berge Sæbjørnsen / news Kristian Indreeide released 227 lambs on the mountain earlier this year. 126 of them never came down again. – It’s absolutely crazy. You become completely apathetic, you can’t do anything, you can’t prevent it, he says. – But are you sure that the wolf has taken everyone? – 99 per cent sure, despite everything, I have found eight carcasses where wolverines have done damage, he says. The picture below shows how the farmers find their sheep in the pasture. NB: We warn of grotesque images. Demand that more wolverines be shot The farmers are now demanding that it be allowed to take out their guns and shoot more wolverines. The wolverine population has increased sharply in recent years. Last year alone, 64 new wolverine litters were registered, which is far more than what the Storting has determined. On Tuesday, the Minister of Agriculture met farmers from Møre and Romsdal and Innlandet at Åndalsnes. He says the stories about all the lambs that are killed make an impression. Farmers met the Minister of Agriculture in Rauma on Tuesday. Photo: Remi Sagen / news – If we are still going to have grazing animals and limit the loss to predators, we must reduce the pressure from the predators, we must have fewer wolverines in the area, says Agriculture and Food Minister Geir Pollestad (Sp). The farmers asked for promises of concrete measures, which they did not get. Geir Pollestad (Sp) is Minister of Agriculture and Food. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Won’t give up For farmer Kristian Indreeide, quitting farming is not an option, but he knows several others who are considering it. Farmers’ association leader Kristin Gilje Sandnes says the ravages of the wolverine are at the mercy of the owners, and have led to several farmers now being on sick leave. – The tours on the mountain are about finding carcasses and finding their animals torn apart, it is clear that people are affected, she says. Published 27/09/2024, at 05.39
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Sounds the alarm that the wolverine may have killed 650 lambs this year: – A massacre
