Hopes for approval

Farmer sees killing as a solution to the swan problem

Florian R. (29) feeding his dairy cows in the barn, about which he is very worried. He fears that they could fall ill from swan droppings.(Bild: Mader Klaus Fotografie)

A 29-year-old farmer from Garsten in Upper Austria complains about damage to meadows and fears for his cattle, which could fall ill as a result of swans' faeces. All deterrence measures have so far been unsuccessful. He is worried that the permit to shoot five young swans has been revoked.

Florian R. is a farmer with heart and soul. The 29-year-old took over a farm in Garsten two years ago and runs a dairy cow farm full-time with his wife Marlene.

You'd think he could lead a happy life - but that's not the case: "I'm facing a huge problem," he says. He sees his happiness threatened by a group of swans that have chosen his land next to the River Enns as a feeding and sleeping place, especially in spring.

More than 40 water birds
"We have 4.5 hectares of meadows, ten percent of which are affected," says R., who claims to have counted more than 40 waterfowl. "We and our neighbors are suffering massively from the overpopulation of animals, which cannot be driven away," he emphasizes.

Attempts to scare them away, such as setting up kites with telescopic arms, have been unsuccessful. "The swans are very clever. My father-in-law once sat down for a day and scared them off, but they were always back just 20 minutes later."

The farmers in Garsten complain about a "massive overpopulation" of waterfowl, which would make their work considerably more difficult and result in yield losses.(Bild: Mader Klaus Fotografie)

R. is particularly bothered by the droppings left behind by the birds: "This can cause illness and miscarriages in my cows." Unfortunately, there is no way of filtering the faeces out of the feed.

Deterrence through shooting
At the beginning of January, R. and his neighbors therefore applied to the BH Steyr-Land to have five young swans shot, which was ordered but overturned by the provincial administrative court last week. "Last year, only two animals were shot, which had the effect of finally giving us peace and quiet for a long time," says R., who hopes that a shooting permit may still be granted.