Portugal's agriculture minister calls on EU to fund fire goat herders

Portuguese Agriculture Minister Jose Fernandes is calling on the European Union to allocate funds within the long-term budget to pay shepherds to herd “fire goats” to prevent fires, Politico reports.

"The Portuguese agriculture minister has a burning desire for the next long-term EU budget - more goats. Jose Manuel Fernandes wants Brussels' help to pay for the work of shepherds who will let goats, cows and sheep graze in areas that are at high risk of forest fires," the publication said.

As the minister stated in a comment to the publication, Portugal is spending its own money on this, but this work is being carried out in the interests of the entire European Union.

As Politico explains elsewhere, grazing "fire goats" as a preventive measure to combat the spread of forest fires this year has been approved by the European Commission, and scientists have confirmed that the animals create firebreaks by eating bushes, and they have already helped contain the spread of fires in several Spanish regions this year. This solution does not require complex technology, but is quite expensive.