President Milanović Meets with Town and Business Representatives of Cres, who warn that Indigenous Sheep Farming on Island is Seriously Threatened

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović held a meeting today with the mayor of Cres Marin Gregorović and Cres businessmen, agricultural cooperative manager Mateo Ferarić, head of the association “Pramenka” Danijel Kučica and the director of the Island Development Agency Ugo Toić.

Mayor Marin Gregorović and business representatives from the island of Cres informed President Milanović about a major problem that the residents and businesspeople of the island have been facing for more than 30 years. Namely, they warned that due to the large number of non-indigenous game, such as wild boar and common fallow deer, which is spreading on the island of Cres and is not controlled by anyone, the island’s autochthonous animal husbandry, above all sheep farming, but also its biodiversity are seriously threatened.

Mayor Gregorović explained that many flocks of sheep kept by livestock herders and farmers, which are decreasing in numbers in any case, are gravely threatened. Today, there is only about 12,000 head of Cres sheep, which is a native Croatian breed, left on the island, while 20 years ago there were over 20,000. Mayor Gregorović underscored that local authorities do not have any authority to solve this problem, because hunting and monitoring of game are within the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry services, from which they have been asking for help for a long time, although in vain.

The non-indigenous game was brought to the island more than 30 years ago with the aim of developing hunting tourism, but it spread throughout the island and has become a threat not only to the indigenous species of sheep but also to olive growing. We want to preserve the autochthonous nature of the island and its animal husbandry, and we cannot solve the problem with only occasional hunting as we have been doing, agricultural cooperative manager Mateo Ferarić, who expects help from state institutions, told President Milanović.

President Milanović was accompanied at the meeting by the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy Velibor Mačkić and Assistant Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy Martina Ciglević.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek