The head of the Polish government said that he would allow any action against beavers within the framework of the law.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk blamed beavers for the escalation of the natural disaster – devastating floods that have been affecting the country. However, environmentalists have said that the authorities are using beavers for “purely political purposes.”
Politico reports this.
The Polish Prime Minister believes that the animals can damage dams and dikes, so he announced that his government will allow any action against beavers within the law.
“Sometimes you have to choose between love for animals and the safety of cities, villages and the stability of dams. Do whatever it takes, I will defend these decisions. Today, dams are an absolute priority,” Tusk said.
Environmental biologist and beaver specialist Andrzej Czech called this statement by the Polish Prime Minister absurd. He said the government was trying to quickly point to a scapegoat for the devastating floods.
In addition, as the ecologist notes, hunters and farmers form the basis of support for one of Tusk's coalition partners, the agrarian-conservative Polish People's Party (PSL),
“Farmers are usually against beavers because they sometimes flood fields and crops. Hunters are interested in improving their public image, so they want to be perceived as saviors and hope to get taxpayers' money for shooting beavers, just as they got for shooting wild boar during the African swine fever,” said Czech.
According to the expert, beaver hunting will lead to the mass destruction of beaver-created habitats, reducing their natural population. Czech suggested a simpler way to protect dams from beavers: place nets around them.
Ecologists say beavers do not contribute to natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and droughts, but are an important part of the solution, promoting healthy wetland systems, which in turn absorb carbon and slow river stream.
The publication recalled that the extreme amount of precipitation in September led to devastating floods in Central Europe. As a result of the natural disaster, at least 16 people died, and evacuations were carried out in some settlements in the Czech Republic and Poland. The Polish government deployed the army in the worst-hit areas.
Recall that earlier in Poland they reported looters who were profiting from victims of severe floods. The criminals robbed rescuers and organized false collections for alleged victims of bad weather.
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