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CHF4000 for littering? New fines proposed to save Swiss cows

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CHF4000 for littering? New fines proposed to save Swiss cows
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Fines for littering in agricultural areas need to be made ten to 100 times higher, a Swiss politician has argued.

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The politician has said littering is causing a ‘deliberate threat to animal welfare’.

Roger Zurbriggen, a parliamentary representative in the Grand Council in Lucerne, has the higher fines are necessary in order to protect Swiss cows. 

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He has put in place a proposal for dramatic increases in punishments for hikers who leave waste in the Swiss countryside. 

“The waste that these animals eat can lead to painful injury or even death,” he said. 

“(Littering) should be considered a deliberate threat to animal welfare”.

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Zurbriggen said the dangers are more significant in areas where agricultural machinery is being used. 

“Aluminium cans and other items crushed by agricultural machinery pose a great danger to wildlife and livestock.”

The current fine for littering in Switzerland is 40 francs. Zurbriggen has argued for a dramatic increase, saying fines for littering could be as much as CHF4000 in order to compensate for the “damage suffered by the owner of the livestock”. 

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As reported by Swiss daily 20 Minutes, the idea has already gained one third of support in parliament. 

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