Brussels warns of the dangers of military intervention and uncontrolled hunting due to swine fever

BrusselsBrussels is urging caution in the fight against the spread of African swine fever affecting Catalonia. Sources at the European Commission indicate that uncontrolled hunting of wild boar or a potential military intervention to cull potentially infected animals en masse in affected areas could have the exact opposite effect of what is intended: spreading the disease. In this way, and in line with the actions advocated by the Catalan government, the European Commission warns that, however counterintuitive it may seem, hunting roundups against wild boar or shooting them frightens the animals, which in these cases are likely to move kilometers away. In fact, Brussels recalls that in the past, massive military interventions have been carried out, which, although they may yield political gains, have caused a significant spread; and they indicate that the number of wild boar that die from the disease is irrelevant as long as they have not moved from the area where they were infected.

Another matter entirely—according to the same EU sources—is that alternative methods of culling wild boar around the epicenter of the outbreak in the most affected area, methods that avoid frightening the animals, such as traps, may be used. However, it should be noted that the European Commission is in favor of hunting these animals under normal circumstances, and especially when there is overpopulation, as is the case in many areas of Catalonia.

In this regard, EU sources warn that acting hastily and too expeditiously could cause African swine fever to spread throughout the Principality and, for example, reach Segrià, one of the most cattle-dense regions in the country. Brussels also calls for extreme caution with safety measures and recommends that pig farms be properly secured and protected, and that workers fighting the disease in potentially affected areas thoroughly wash their boots and clothing, as well as the tires of the vehicles they use to travel through these areas.

Nevertheless, European Commission sources are optimistic and believe that it is possible to eradicate African swine fever from Catalonia, although they caution that it will be a lengthy process.