Miranda do Douro, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2026 (Lusa) - More than fifty shepherds from the Mirandese Plateau demonstrated in Naso, Miranda do Douro, on Sunday, calling on the government to make timely payments in response to wolf attacks that have been occurring in recent years in this region of Trás-os-Montes.
Shepherds and livestock farmers from the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Vimioso and Mogadouro, in the district of Bragança, wore black T-shirts bearing slogans such as «Protected wolves, struggling farmers» or «Let's save the plateau».
They also displayed placards with photographs showing the «chaos and damage» caused by wolf attacks in certain parts of the north of the country, where the wolves have killed small ruminants and large animals such as horses and cattle.
«What the government pays, does not cover the losses caused by wolf attacks on flocks or other animals such as calves. When payments are made, they arrive after a very long time, in some cases more than one year, and we all complain,» said José Pinto, one of the protesters who had come from Ifanes, in the municipality of Miranda do Douro.
Meanwhile, Manuel Rodrigues, another of the shepherds from the municipality of Miranda do Douro, who were outraged by the constant losses suffered on their farms due to wolf attacks, said that nobody listens to them.
«I've already had two wolf attacks on my livestock farm; they killed two of my calves, and I was left to bear the loss. So far, nobody has paid me anything, despite my having reported it to the ICNF [Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests], and nothing. It's been nearly two years now,» he said.
Alcino Antão, a shepherd from Genísio, Miranda do Douro, explained that a wolf attack about a year ago killed 12 of his sheep and injured 10.
«I spent over €500 on medication to treat the injured sheep and am still awaiting reimbursement. I have not yet received compensation for the dead sheep or the injured ones, despite having contacted the ICNF and other public bodies. I am left with the financial loss,» he emphasised.
During a tour of the Naso fairground, a general sense of «resilience» prevailed amongst the shepherds, in the face of «systematic» wolf attacks on their farms in the Mirandese Plateau over the last three years.
The deputy mayor of Miranda do Douro, Nuno Rodrigues, who is also a livestock farmer, stood alongside the protesters and expressed the view that the «Alcateia Programme» will have to be reviewed to streamline compensation payments and simplify the requirements for protecting livestock.
«The issue of fencing on agricultural and livestock holdings is also a key detail, because herders need to be given more time to erect these structures, but more support is also needed as these are costly investments. The use of livestock guard dogs will also have to be reviewed, because these are animals that need to be fed, and anyone with two or three of these guard dogs incurs expenses,» he emphasised.
The Union of Livestock Producers Affected by Wolves also expressed solidarity with the shepherd from the Planalto Mirandês and joined local protesters; its spokesperson, Orlando Gonçalves, said that there are frequent wolf attacks throughout the northern region.
«I run a livestock farm in Minho and recently experienced a wolf attack, despite having a seven-metre-high wall; they breached it and killed 16 of my finest animals. Frequent wolf attacks could lead to the extinction of certain sheep breeds, such as the Churra do Minho,» he warned.
In October 2025, shepherds from the Mirandese Plateau said that the wolf attacks that had occurred since the start of that year were «a calamity».
According to the ICNF, the Iberian wolf has been protected in Portugal since 1988. The fact that it is an endangered animal grants it Protected Species Status.
Various measures protect the species, notably compensation for damage caused by the Iberian wolf and projects that support livestock farmers and encourage protective measures, such as the use of native breeds of livestock dogs.
On 1 December 2025, the Minister for the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, announced that the Government would double the compensation amount for wolf attacks under the Alcateia Programme, with the increase applying retroactively from the start of the year.
FYP/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
