Farmers from the eastern Podlasie province want to sue the government for damages caused by the moose (European elk) in their forests.

The farmers are considering a collective lawsuit on the issue. In July, a farmer from Downary, a village in Podlasie, won such a case and became the first person to receive compensation for losses caused by moose.

Out of Poland’s estimated 8,000 moose, about 70 percent live in the eastern Podlasie region. They destroy young trees, such as pines, especially during the winter, by eating their soft tops and branches.

Henryk Dziegielewski, a local leader, told the Polish news agency PAP that the farmers want damages for about a dozen hectares of young pine forest destroyed by the moose.

A moratorium on moose shooting has been in force in Poland for almost 10 years now. But the moose has not been classified as a protected species.

The court which ruled in favor of the farmer from Downary pointed out that no deadline for the moratorium was set and no measures were proposed to limit the moose-related damages. (kk)