Socio-economics consequences of peatland exploitation in Switzerland Froidevaux Viviane European research programm RECIPE Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

Part 1: Peat and peatland use in Switzerland Peat extraction Litter meadows Present use of raised bogs Regional distribution Political framework P olitical framework in Switzerland Chronology of Swiss mire protection Legal organisation and application of mire habitats and landscapes protection in Switzerland Economic importance of peat extraction and peatland The peat market Alternative uses of peatlands

Part 2: Agriculture General presentation General ideas in matter of agricultural exploitation of mire areas Tourism General presentation Examples of agricultural and touristical management in Swiss mire landscapes The mire landscape of Schwägalp The mire landscape of La Gruère

Partie 1: Peat and peatland use in Switzerland Peat extraction Litter meadows Present use of raised bogs Regional distribution Political framework P olitical framework in Switzerland Chronology of Swiss mire protection Legal organisation and application of mire habitats and lanscapes protection in Switzerland Economic importance of peat extraction and peatlands The peat market Alternative uses of peatlands

Part 2: Agriculture General presentation General ideas in matter of agricultural exploitation of mire areas Tourism General presentation Examples of agricultural and touristical management in Swiss mire landscapes The mire landscape of Schwägalp The mire landscape of La Gruère

SOME WORDS ABOUT HISTORY… Beginning of peat exploitation: 18th century Industrial exploitations: middle of the 19th century Beginning of the 20th century: about 60% of peatlands had disappeared 1st World War: strong exploitation 2nd Worl War: strong exploitation and drainages During both World Wars, more than 2.5 millions of tons of peat are extracted Disappearance of 1000 hectares Years : development of horticultural peat 1987: acceptation of the Rothenthurm Initiative, protection of peatlands

La Chaux-des-Breuleux / JU

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION: 1’500 hectares of raised bogs about 500 ha are primary or nearly intact about 1’000 ha are secondary In total, 5’165 hectares are protected by the raised and transitional bogs inventory. 0.13% of the Swiss territory 18’000 hectares of fens and about 88’000 hectares of mire landscapes can be added

THE PEAT MARKET: IMPORT Diverse origins, but principally On average: 115’000 tons of peat are imported every year Germany Belgium The Netherlands France Italy Sweden RussiaLithuania Latvia Belarus

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

Does Switzerland export peat? YES! What for peat? Industrial or manufactured products that are produced on our territory from rough peat Principal partners: The quantities are very varying and not high THE PEAT MARKET: EXPORT GERMANYAUSTRIA

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

The Swiss agriculture get direct payments General direct payments Ecological direct payments These direct payments have to obey ecological required contributions obligation to have a part of ecological compensation surface areas Litter meadows Extensive meadows Extensive pasture lands THE AGRICULTURAL EXPLOITATION OF MIRES

According to Meier & Rudmann, 1997

Agricultural zonesContribution (per ha) Great cultures and intermediary zonesCHF 1500 Hills zoneCHF 1200 Mountain zones I and IICHF 700 Mountain zones III and IVCHF 450 CONTRIBUTIONS FOR EXTENSIVE AND LITTER MEADOWS: According to the Federal Office for Agriculture, 2003

LITTER MEADOWS… 6634 exploitations 6600 hectares On average 922 CHF per hectare More than 6 millions of CHF per year Type of parametre UnityPlain areaHills areaMountain area Total ExploitationsNbr1’7051’8303’0996’634 Surface areaHa1’7111’4233’4376’571 Contribution per exploitation CHF1’ Total contributions 1000 CHF2’5201’3752’1666’061 According to the Federal Office of Agriculture, 2003

LES PRAIRIES EXTENSIVES… Type of parametre UnityPlain areaHills areaMountain area Total ExploitationsNbr18’2019’0499’67936’929 Surface areaHa22’7839’22214’06646’071 Contribution per exploitation CHF1’8361’ ’359 Total contributions 1000 CHF33’4179’3327’43650’186 37’000 exploitations 46’000 hectares On average 1’089 CHF per hectare More than 50 millions of CHF per year According to the Federal Office of Agriculture, 2003

Direct payments in 2002: - litter meadows = 0.24% - extensive meadows = 2% The ecological compensation surface areas cover 120’000 hectares, that means about 11% of the useful agricultural surface area Mean amounts paid per exploitation: - general direct payments: 36’000 CHF per year - ecological direct payments: 7’000 CHF per year 43’000 CHF per year per exploitation 2.5 milliards de CHF

Raised bogs: 1’257 hectares 940’000 CHF Fens: 9’700 hectares 9 millions de CHF In total, about 10 millions of CHF, that means an average of 913 CHF per hectare SURFACE AREAS OF THE FEDERAL INVENTORIES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE EXPLOITED

TOURISM IN MIRES Observation: big lack of pieces of data! Landscape and nature are the main reasons of the choice of Switzerland as holydays site. In1998, 30.6 billions of CHF were spent in the tourism sector Added value: 12.9 billions de CHF 3.4% of the GDP - Landscape utility: 2.5 billions of CHF - Landscape value: 70 billions of CHF The mire landscape have a very strong impact in the landscape

MAIN PROBLEMS: Incomes engendered by landscapes are not used for their maintenance or their development. Without infrastructures, tourism can not produce added value and therefore can not produce money. The landscape remains a public good with free access. It is very difficult to determine to him a market price. We have to attribute an utility value to the nature protection and define its economical importance as capital and factor of production that is essential to the national economy.

Extremely famous touristical site 56 hectares of raised bogs A CONCRETE EXAMPLE: THE MIRE LANDSCAPE OF LA GRUERE Main problems and damages: Peat stamping Banks erosion Wastes Bathing and skating « Wild » toilets …

If the agricultural management is quite in order, there is still problems with the touristical management: Between 100’000 et 150’000 visitors per year Most of them come with their private vehicle They are not aware of the existence of the raised bog They want more touristical infrastructures The site is perceived as a public park or a leisure park and not as a nature reserve

Proposals of touristical management: Maintenance of the current situation Always more damages Ideal protection of the peatland Emptying of the lake To establish a balance between the nature protection and tourism Picnic zones, dustbins, toilets, pontoons, ways around the lake and the reserve Option A: fishing and bathing are allowed Option B: fishing and bathing are not allowed

Countries partner of RECIPE can be divided into two groups: Countries were exploitation is maintained or intensifyied Countries were the exploitation stopped or will stop IN CONCLUSION… Durability in the exploitation Re-use of the sites The contribution of Switzerland is an examle of what could happen in the other countries if they continue to exploit strongly their peatlands.