An interview with Juris Otaņķis, a forest owner

Various types and content of criticism directed at hunters can be heard. Is this the case everywhere, or – the closer to Riga, the louder it is heard?

I think that such things happen and are more typical of Riga, where many live very far from the forest, animals and natural processes. Once upon a time, almost everyone was proud to know a hunter. Is there any reason to be ashamed of that now? Hardly! People who work and live in the countryside know and understand what hunting is. I have been involved in hunting since I was a child; I have been hunting myself for about 30 years. It is one of my serious hobbies, and I am involved in it “up to my ears”: I manage a hunting collective, I participate myself, and I work with hunting dogs. Over time, our collective has gotten into the habit of organising driven hunts. In my hunting pursuits, I have criss-crossed the forests of Kalvene and Aizpute on foot.

In the Latgale region, there is talk of an excessive density of ungulates; roe deer and stags are already attacking young spruce trees. How is it in Kurzeme?

Statistically, the population density of red deer and roe deer in Kurzeme is higher than in Latgale; we could say the situation is no different. As we know, the swine fever has abruptly thinned out the wild boar. The damage caused by deer and roe deer is, of course, a burden for both foresters and farmers. It is, one might say, uneven: some have more, some have less, but the four-legged creatures nibble on everything that is tasty and to their liking.

Have there been any anti-hunting activities observed?

We have not seen ladies with “Down with hunting!” placards. It must be said that other well-known problems in Latvia (and beyond) unfortunately do not bypass us. Arguments, ambitions and the redistribution of territories happen in Kurzeme from time to time as well. In 2011, 11 hunting clubs in the Aizpute municipality signed a memorandum of cooperation, setting out principles for operations and collaboration, and we effectively demarcated the boundaries of our collectives on the ground so that we wouldn't run into each other and cause disruption. In Aizpute, we have a good local branch manager, Gints Kaktiņš, who looks into situations, likes hunting matters, and we usually resolve any problems that arise.

Bears and lynx in Kurzeme

Bear tracks have been spotted, and the beasts are also part of the scene in Kurzeme. As is well known, young male bears tend to move around a lot, covering long distances. WhatsApp hunter groups contained a photo of bear tracks from the banks of the Vārtāja river in the Kalvene area, and a bear has been observed on night cameras in the Nīca area. Bears do wander in, but we cannot yet talk about them living here permanently.

There are lynx; I have even shot one myself once. If the established quota for lynx is met in Latvia every year, that is a clear indicator that these animals are in Latvia! It is an exclusive piece of game that you don't encounter often. As I said, I have been lucky once, and I have seen one sneaking around during a stand hunt on a few occasions. In March, if there is snow, we will be able to spot them again by their tracks – the mating season begins for the big cats.

South Kurzeme municipality. The recent and still relevant administrative-territorial reform

If we talk about the municipal reform, it looks like we will return to the old Liepāja district. Will the reform affect the work of the sector? I doubt it!

I think that, as with any process, there could certainly have been mistakes in the course of the reform or things that could have been done differently, but I am on the side of those who support it because the bureaucratic apparatus of local governments in every small municipality or parish would not be necessary. That is clear! If there are a few hundred people, do they need an accountant and an executive director? Of course not! One can understand those working in local self-government until now, who are used to it and will now have to step out of their comfort zones, but... if you hear about problems related to the reform anywhere in Latvia, I don't hear them around here. There may be some grumbling, but it is not loud.

Forestry. Kurzeme's forests... information occasionally appears in web discussions that one can drive through Kurzeme for a long time and not see a forest...

I don't know where they've been driving... For example, in the plains of Lower Kurzeme around Nīca, there are no forests, and it seems there never have been. Historically, there were flood-prone open areas where land reclamation was carried out, but there is no forest there. It doesn't grow. If we drive towards Kuldīga and Ventspils or along the Kuldīga-Renda-Talsi road, we practically never leave the forest. There are practically no fields there.

EU “green” trends in Latvia...

Well... One can talk about this subject: from-to, back-and-forth.

Seeing the situation and evaluating the information raises a number of questions. For example, to clean up the forests under their management, large companies (AS “Latvijas valsts meži”, “Rīgas meži”) hire people to collect waste in the forests. In Latvia, clear-cut things don't really work, but there are unjustified and loud attacks on the industry...

It is not easy to answer. Who among us is against nature conservation? No one! Who wants a forest full of waste and litter? No one! Who wants to deliberately and wrongly destroy anything? No one! In the forest, we want to harvest wood at the appropriate time and earn a reasonable living, keeping environmental, social, and economic interests in balance. It is sad that groups with opposing views have emerged in Latvia, and it is even sadder that we, foresters for several generations, are unjustifiably cast in the role of nature destroyers. I have no explanation as to why. We understand the processes best because we are in the forest every day. One thing is that some of the people on the opposing side are simply fanatics and will remain so. Another part are “green-businessmen” who profit at others' expense with this attitude. There are third parties who are far from all this, don't know, are not connected, but listen to those who shout the loudest (“get carried away” by populism). If you sit in the city, see the forest through a window or go for a walk in it only a few times a year, and are not involved in or close to the processes related to the forest... It is easy to run after someone saying beautiful words... Industry people, for the most part, are doers who often turn a blind eye or let it all go over their heads. If your voice is quieter, you are not heard as well.

Experience to date in large companies: “Latvijas Finieris” and “Laskana”. Can they be compared?

Both are experienced and large industry companies, but “Latvijas Finieris” is basically a large-scale manufacturer; its core business is plywood production, and the forestry part is proportionately small, whereas “Laskana” is historically a timber trader that has seriously turned to forestry and logging in the last 10 years. The “Laskana” team is young, bustling and dynamic, and decision-making happens quite quickly, whereas the situation at “Latvijas Finieris” was organised and systematised, but more cumbersome. My experience at “Laskana” is quite short – I have been working in the company for the third month.

Speaking of well-managed and unmanaged forests, the border regions and Latgale are often mentioned, where there are fewer people and forests are more abandoned and neglected. How is it in Kurzeme?

It is similar. In some Latgale municipalities, it is quite empty, with few people. If a forest owner lives in a rural parish and does not intend to change their place of residence, they are unlikely to sell the forest. Many still consider it a pension fund or a personal bank. I think such stories are similar all over Latvia, regardless of the region. I don't see the sale of a forest as a problem for anyone because usually, the areas end up in the hands of professionals; physically, the forest remains right here in Latvia, professionally managed, tended, grown, and the harvest ends up in our national economy anyway! If foreigners become the new owners... For them, the forest is a long-term investment, and they mostly invest their profits in development. Jobs, in turn, go to our people. I cannot join the laments that “everything is being sold to foreigners”. These are European Union companies. By the way, I haven't heard of citizens worried about “selling everything to outsiders” having decided to purchase any forest area themselves. I own a small forest property in the Kurzeme region, I participate in various events for forest owners and hunters, and I follow current events.

Is it gradually becoming popular to live in rural parishes?

I cannot say that the emptiness in the countryside is very much filled. Grobiņa, even though it will be the centre of the new municipality, is still a commuter town for Liepāja. Pāvilosta is slowly turning into a holiday destination for people from Riga; in the summer, it is full of them, and they are buying properties. I do not see a very noticeable and palpable flow of people away from the cities.

A year with Covid19 and the problems it has brought along

We in the industry have adapted quickly; the flow of cargo has practically not changed. Domestically, in terms of work, it is similar; exports take place by sea via ships, where there are no major changes or restrictions. In everyday life, you don't feel them.

What should the industry definitely do, take into account, or bear in mind?

To achieve anything, stand up to populists, and avoid misguided decisions, foresters need unity: we must stand together! There is strength in that! We must be active in industry organisations because, by grumbling in our own homesteads, we won't achieve much. By putting our heads together, the result will come, and a reasonable solution will emerge. There have been situations where we thought, “Well, now we're in trouble...” but a solution was found! Those who work are the ones moving forward!