The case in summary: The government wants to eradicate wild boar in Norway and is considering comprehensive measures. The fear of African swine fever is the main reason for the measures. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency propose, among other things, the construction of a fence against the Swedish border, in order to control the wild boar population in Norway. African swine fever has been detected in wild boar in Sweden, but has not yet been detected in Norway. The disease infects both wild and domestic pigs, but not other animals or humans. The leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association, Bjørn Gimming, says there is a need to strengthen efforts and is happy that more measures are now being considered. The proposal for measures must now be investigated in more detail to assess both costs and benefits. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We are now coming up with new and strengthened measures that fulfill the new goal, which has gone from having the fewest possible wild boars in Norway to not having wild boars in Norway, says Agriculture and Food Minister Geir Pollestad (Sp). Pollestad says it is about preventing a possible outbreak of African swine fever. In autumn, several cases of swine fever were discovered in wild boars in Sweden. The cases were discovered in Fagersta, which is located around 17 miles northwest of Stockholm. Agriculture and Food Minister Geir Pollestad says new and strengthened measures against wild boar are necessary. Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news African swine fever has so far not been detected in Norway. – If we get swine fever in Norway, it will have major consequences for those involved in pig production, but will also place major restrictions on the ability to hunt, forest operations and engage in outdoor activities in the areas affected by the infection, says Pollestad. The disease infects both wild and domestic pigs, but not other animals or humans. Building a fence against Sweden In November last year, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency were commissioned to revise the action plan for wild boar. They are now proposing a number of measures to control the wild boar population in Norway. One of the proposals is to build a fence against the Swedish border. – It can contribute to less movement of pigs between the countries, and thus limit a possible population increase and the spread of infection with live animals, says Ole-Herman Tronerud, Norway’s official chief veterinarian at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority believes that it will be relevant on special stretches in south-east Norway. – It will not be a continuous fence, but from the point of view we know that the influx from Sweden is large, says Pollestad. African swine fever has long been widespread in several places further south in Europe, but the outbreak in Sweden is the first to be detected in the Nordic region. In Norway, the wild boar population is largest in Østfold, but the animals have been observed as far north as Trøndelag. There are also wild boars in the agricultural county of Innlandet. Farmers’ association: Need for action The leader of Norway’s Farmers’ Association, Bjørn Gimming, says there is a need to strengthen efforts after African swine fever was detected in our neighboring country. He says they are happy that more measures are now being considered. – We believe it is absolutely necessary to strengthen efforts against wild boar in Norway. It is very serious if we are diagnosed with swine fever. It is a serious disease that will have serious consequences for pig production, says Gimming. Farmers’ association leader Bjørn Gimming is happy that the fight against wild boar is being taken seriously. Photo: Camilla Alexandra Lie / news The farmer association leader is positive about the proposal for a border fence. – It will be quite demanding to carry out, as I know nature and the open field in the forest in the border areas between Norway and Sweden, he says. – But it is very interesting that they propose such drastic measures. It also means that they consider the risk of swine fever entering Norway to be high. Do you think these measures against wild boar are important: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency recommend the following measures: Introduce a requirement that producers with outdoor pigs in areas with wild boar must have a boar-proof fence. They also recommend the purchase of a mobile destruction facility. Investigate where it would be most appropriate to build a fence towards Sweden, to prevent the immigration of wild boar to Norway, and investigate the possibility of putting out carcass containers, imposing fencing of waste sites, Wild boar-proof waste bins and emptying routines, as well as the use of traps and fences. A comprehensive stock monitoring. Make arrangements to be able to sell meat from wild boars shot. Develop a digital solution for recording wild boar sightings. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency recommend that the following measures be continued: Health monitoring Remuneration to hunters for submitting sample kits from wild boars Remuneration to landowners Remuneration for notification of the discovery of dead wild boars Project landowner To be investigated The Minister of Agriculture says it is a public responsibility to follow up on the possible financial consequences this will have few for the farmers. – It is a public responsibility to keep wild boar away from Norway, and these are the kinds of things you have to have a dialogue with the agricultural industry about how we solve, says Pollestad. The proposal for measures from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency will now be investigated in more detail. – It is to find out both costs and benefits before we implement this. That will involve a cost that we have to go a little deeper into, says Pollestad.
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Announces new measures against Boar – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
