In the municipality of Eura in western Finland, farmers Tuure Inkinen and Jussi Saari reported significant crop losses caused by flocks of cranes that stop in fields during migration. According to them, the birds trample winter wheat crops and damage vegetable crops.
As YLE News reports, in fields in the Hinnerjoki area, a flock of several hundred cranes trampled crops across an area of several hectares. Inkinen claims that after being trampled, wheat stalks do not enter the combine harvester’s cutting header, and around 70% of the damaged plants remain on the ground.
Damage to vegetables and wheat
The farmers estimate their annual economic losses at several thousand euros. Jussi Saari, who grows vegetables, said that cranes eat cabbage and beet seedlings in spring. Both farmers say the number of birds has been increasing in recent years.
BirdLife Finland expert Antti J. Lind confirmed the farmers’ observations of a higher number of cranes. According to him, large birds, including cranes, cormorants, geese and white-tailed eagles, are currently doing well. Lind named climate change as the main reason: because of warming, birds’ migratory journey has become shorter, which reduces the strain and promotes their breeding in Finland.
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Lind also noted that non-breeding cranes may harm other birds: they find and eat their eggs.
Debate over shooting
Inkinen and Saari tried to scare off the cranes with a gas cannon that produces a loud sound at certain intervals. However, according to the farmers, the birds fly only a short distance away. They support the possibility of protective shooting of cranes, similar to the mechanism applied to barnacle geese.
Terhi Lefstedt, executive director of MTK Satakunta, also believes that legislation should allow such shooting if cranes cause unacceptable damage to agriculture. Lind, on the other hand, categorically opposed the idea and suggested directing flocks through supplementary feeding to places where they would not cause losses for farmers.
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