Eradicating the entire wild boar population from areas at high risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) is a “very complicated task,” a representative for Catalonia’s hunting community has warned. The stark assessment highlights the immense challenge authorities face in their battle to contain the devastating animal disease currently spreading through the region’s natural parks.
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Josep Maria Losa, a hunter and spokesperson for the Agrupació de Societats de Caçadors i Pescadors de Catalunya, outlined the key obstacles to achieving a zero-boar population, a goal authorities pursue to halt the virus’s transmission. Speaking in an interview with Barcelona broadcaster betevé, Losa explained that the animal’s inherent nature, combined with certain human behaviours, makes complete removal nearly impossible.
A Powerful and Mobile Target
The warning comes as the Catalan government intensifies its efforts to control an unprecedented outbreak of African Swine Fever. This disease, which is fatal to pigs and wild boars but poses no threat to humans, has prompted drastic measures. These include restricting public access to natural spaces like the Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola.
Losa identified two primary reasons for the difficulty in culling the entire population. Firstly, the wild boar’s physical prowess presents a significant challenge. “The animals have sufficient strength to break through erected fences,” he noted, complicating containment efforts that rely on isolating populations.
Beyond their strength, mobility also proves a significant factor. “Wild boars can travel many kilometres in a single night,” Losa stated. Consequently, this inherent ability to roam over large distances allows an animal to easily move from an infected zone to a clear one. This undermines localised culling operations and spreads the virus further. The government’s own measures acknowledge this, seeking to create a buffer zone extending up to 20 kilometres from known infection sites.
The Human Factor
Beyond the challenges posed by the animals themselves, Losa also voiced concern over public attitudes towards them. He criticised individuals who view wild boars as “a type of pet,” a perception that leads to a dangerous habit: feeding them.
“It is imperative to understand that wild boars must not be fed,” Losa stressed. Providing food encourages the animals to congregate and lose their natural fear of humans. This, in turn, makes them a more common sight in semi-urban areas. Consequently, the risk of disease transmission between animals, and potentially to domestic pig farms via contaminated materials, significantly increases.
Authorities have deployed various methods to control the population, including drones and an extensive network of traps. Nevertheless, the fight to stay ahead of the virus is ongoing. Recent reports confirm that new ASF cases continue to be discovered within the designated high-risk zones, which have recently expanded to include areas like Sant Just Desvern.
“What is being asked is not only to finish with the wild boars in the high-risk radius of influence, but to reach a radius of 20 kilometres.”– Josep Maria Losa, Agrupació de Societats de Caçadors i Pescadors de Catalunya
An Indispensable Role
Despite the difficulties, Losa defended the role of the hunter as an “indispensable element for the conservation of nature.” He offered the services of the hunting community to the authorities, stating they are ready to provide any necessary assistance in the control efforts.
However, Losa also expressed frustration with administrative hurdles, as he described them. He criticised the “difficulty administrations often create, with limitations and obstacles that frequently make our activity impossible.” This highlights a potential friction between a key group capable of carrying out the cull and the bureaucratic framework governing their actions.
As Catalonia navigates this ecological and economic crisis, the insights from those with direct experience managing wild boar populations suggest that while control measures are essential, the goal of total eradication remains a formidable, and perhaps unattainable, objective.
