Osmanlı’dan Cumhuriyet’e Türkiye’de Zirai Mücadele Yöntemi Olarak Hayvan İtlafı “Kuşlar, Tarla Fareleri ve Yaban Domuzları” (1850-1938)
Fatma EmekSürüler halinde hareket eden kuşlar, tarla fareleri ve yaban domuzları hem Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun son döneminde hem de Cumhuriyet Türkiyesi’nde tarım arazileri ile meyve ağaçlarına ciddi maddi hasarlar vermiştir. Bu hayvanların vermiş oldukları zararları en aza indirmek için hükümetler bütçelerinden pay ayırarak ziraî mücadele yapmış, kanunlar hazırlamıştır. 1913 ve 1924 yıllarında hazırlanarak uygulamaya konulan kanunlarla ziraî mücadele yöntemi olarak hayvan itlafının devlet nezdinde resmileşmesi sağlanmıştır. Böylece devlet yöneticileri, ziraat için zararlı görülen hayvanların nüfusunu dengelemek adına her yıl belli bir miktarda hayvan itlafına izin vermiştir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’de ziraî mücadele kapsamında kuşlar, tarla fareleri ve yaban domuzlarına karşı uygulanan itlafın gerekçesini, insanların itlafa bakışlarını, kullanılan itlaf yöntemlerini ve bunların çevreye etkilerini ortaya koymaktır. Araştırma, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Devlet Arşivi belgeleri, dönemin basını, zabıt cerideleri ile kaleme alınan telif ve tetkik eserlerden faydalanılarak hazırlanmıştır.
Animal Culling as a Method of Agricultural Control from Ottoman Empire to Republic of Türkiye (1850-1938): Birds, Field Mice and Wild Boars
Fatma EmekBirds, field mice, and wild boars moving in flocks caused severe material damage to agricultural lands and fruit trees both in the Ottoman Period and the Republic of Türkiye. In order to minimize the damage, governments allocated funds from their budgets for agricultural control and enacted laws. With the laws prepared and implemented in 1913 and 1924, different governments made animal culling as a method of agricultural control official. Thus, the government administrators allowed the culling of a certain number of animals each year to control their population, which was considered harmful to agriculture. This study aims to reveal the reasons behind the culling of birds, field mice, and wild boars within the scope of agricultural control in Türkiye, as well as people’s attitudes towards culling, the methods used for culling, and their environmental impacts. The research was conducted using a variety of sources, including documents from the Presidential State Archives, the press of the period, parliamentary records, and original research and review papers.
Throughout history, humans have utilized agricultural control methods against animals that they have held responsible for the productivity losses they have experienced in agriculture. In both the Ottoman and Republican Periods, expenditures were made from state budgets to ensure the struggle was carried out under state supervision, and regulations were issued when necessary.
The first law against harmful animals was enacted on April 19, 1913. This law remained in force until it was renewed during the Republican Era, and then a new law was enacted on January 10, 1924. New articles were added to the law in 1931 to address the increasing population of field mice and to implement control measures.
In regions where local governments issued extermination orders, men between the ages of 18 and 50 were obligated to cull a specified number of animals. Those who did not participate in the culling efforts were also fined. A limb from each culled animal was submitted to commissions established by local governments as evidence. If necessary, the weapons and ammunition used during the culling were provided by the military, with the condition that they would be returned to the military upon completion.
Agricultural pest control measures were implemented against crows, sparrows, starlings, field mice, and wild boars, which were considered harmful to agriculture due to their consumption of crop seedlings, seeds, and fruits.
Local and central governments sometimes used traditional methods such as miraculous waters, plant-based poisons prepared, or firearms when controlling against birds, field mice, and wild boars. At other times, they have tried to achieve definitive results with scientifically produced drugs.
Firearms and poisons were used in culling efforts against birds. Incentive payments were made by the commissions established in each province to those who shot birds with a firearm and surrendered their feet, and to those who destroyed their nests and collected their eggs. The culling of birds has been a subject of debate during both the Ottoman and Republican periods. While one group views birds as beneficial for eating insects that are harmful to agriculture, another group considers it necessary to kill them because they eat crops and reduce productivity.
Field mice, nesting in groups around agricultural lands, damage crops by gnawing. During periods of increased rodent populations, government officials have implemented agricultural control measures against these animals. Methods such as miraculous waters, traps, and hora devices with poisonous gas, viruses, and poisoned pellets have been used to eradicate field mice. In the 1930s, a large-scale fight against field mice was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture. As a result of these efforts, some places have been completely cleared of mice. In some places, mice populations have been reduced, preventing them from causing widespread crop damage.
Wild boars have been farmers' primary enemies due to their ability to adapt to various habitats worldwide and their omnivorous diet. To protect agricultural lands, local administrators occasionally organized hunts in which wild boars were killed with firearms, and their tails and ears were submitted to authorities as proof. Additionally, viruses and poisons causing infectious diseases among wild boars were used in culling efforts.
Culling efforts against birds and field mice have not always been carried out effectively because farmers think that these animals are a disaster sent by God and killing them is a sin. Since wild boars were considered haram for Muslims, they were culled wherever they were seen.
