25 administrative cases opened this autumn over illegal berry picking in Teici Nature Reserve

Latvia's Nature Conservation Agency, which oversees protected natural areas, has opened 25 administrative offence cases this autumn over unauthorised presence and berry picking in Teici Nature Reserve. The reserve protects one of the largest untouched sphagnum bogs in the Baltics, and berry picking there is strictly prohibited, with a narrow exception for local residents on a few days each year.

Where most violations occurred

Of all the cases, 23 were opened over violations outside the permitted period. During the permitted days, the agency says, checks passed calmly: inspections that verified whether berries were picked by hand only and whether pickers were local residents led to just two cases.

Anda Zeize, director of the agency's Latgale regional administration, says inspectors carry out raids and enhanced checks regularly: on permitted days, before and after them, and throughout the rest of the season. The raids use drones, which allow officers to spot people's movement from above, including in remote and hard-to-reach parts of the bog.

What is allowed

In the reserve's regulated-regime zone, cranberries may be picked on four days in September. This year those were 12, 13, 19 and 20 September. The right applies to residents registered in the Mētriena, Barkava, Murmastiene and Varakļāni parishes of Madona municipality, or the Atašiene parish of Jēkabpils municipality. Mechanical berry-picking devices are also banned in the bog, because they damage the plants and tear up the roots of the low shrubs.

Why the restrictions exist

The bog is an important feeding and resting place for migratory birds such as cranes and geese. Its ecosystem recovers very slowly and is therefore especially sensitive to trampling. Teici Nature Reserve was founded in 1982 and, at more than 19,000 hectares, is the largest nature reserve in Latvia. It is also a protected area of international importance (a Ramsar site).

The agency reminds the public that berries can be picked without restrictions in many other bogs, for example the nearby Lielais Pelečāre bog or bogs in state forest areas. Before heading out, residents are urged to check the protection status, zoning and restrictions of an area in the OZOLS nature data management system (ozols.gov.lv).