Farmers seek crane hunting rights as crop losses mount

Hundreds of migrating cranes have caused thousands of euros in crop damage in Hinnerjoki, a farming area in Eura, Yle reports. Farmers are calling for protective hunting of the birds, but a BirdLife Finland expert has rejected the proposal.

Tuure Inkinen and Jussi Saari say cranes have trampled their crops, including autumn wheat. When a flock of several hundred cranes lands in a field, the birds’ movement damages the harvest, Inkinen said.

Wheat stalks bent under the birds’ feet no longer reach the blades of a combine harvester. About 70 per cent of the crop in the trampled area ends up on the ground, according to Inkinen.

The farmers estimate that the losses amount to several thousand euros a year. Saari, who grows vegetables, said cranes also eat cabbage and beetroot seedlings in spring.

Farmers say crane numbers are rising

Both Saari and Inkinen said crane-related problems have increased in recent years as the number of birds has grown.

Antti J. Lind, a bird expert at BirdLife Finland, confirmed the farmers’ observation. He said large birds, including cranes, cormorants, geese and white-tailed eagles, are currently doing well.

“The main reason is climate change. Because warming has shortened the birds’ migration routes, the strain is lower and they are better able to reproduce in Finland,” Lind said.

Lind added that the growing crane population can also affect ecosystems. Non-breeding cranes can disturb other birds by finding and eating their eggs, he said.

Expert rejects proposal for protective hunting

Inkinen and Saari said they have tried to drive crane flocks away with a gas cannon that produces a loud, regular bang. They said the device only moves the birds a short distance.

The farmers believe cranes should be eligible for protective hunting, as white-fronted geese are. Terhi Löfstedt, executive director of MTK Satakunta, also supports the idea. She said legislation should allow protective hunting when cranes cause unreasonable damage to farming.

Lind rejected the proposal.

“Soon people will probably want to protectively hunt white-tailed eagles too, because there are so many of them,” he said.

Instead, Lind suggested using feeding to guide crane flocks to places where they would not cause losses for farmers.