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One of the successful experiences in wild boar management has been that of Belgium, where the spread of an African swine fever outbreak detected among these mammals was contained before it reached any farms. The first case was in 2018 in the south of the country, in an area near the border with Luxembourg and France. Belgian authorities cordoned off a wooded area and completely isolated it to prevent its spread, explains researcher Alain Licoppe. They marked two areas: the central one where the dead animals had been found and where the virus was already suspected to be circulating, and a second, larger security perimeter. In this second area, an active search was carried out, "combing the area up to 7,000 times," according to the expert, and up to 100 km of fencing were installed to prevent any animals from escaping and carrying the virus with them. The hunting led to a decrease in the potentially carrier population, and within a few months, no further cases of infection were detected.
The Catalan government closes off the area most affected by swine fever with "physical barriers".
The Government seeks to create a "safe zone without infected animals" in Collserola
BarcelonaThe Catalan government is finalizing the perimeter closure this Thursday, using "fences and other physical barriers," of a 6-kilometer radius in the Collserola area where African swine fever (ASF) was detected. This measure aims to intensify the capture and culling of wild boar, as explained by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Minister indicated that the actions will be carried out within a radius of 4 to 6 kilometers to "create a safety zone free of animals that could spread the virus to either side." This area, now closed off with physical barriers, is the closest to the origin of the ASF outbreak, which is where the first two dead wild boars infected with the virus were found. Following European, national, and Catalan health regulations regarding outbreaks of African swine fever, the Catalan government has declared two different zones affected by the epidemic: the first encompasses municipalities within a 6-kilometer radius of the initial outbreak, considered a "high-risk zone"—where physical barriers will now be erected—and the second, a "low-risk zone" extending 20 kilometers from the outbreak's origin. Currently, movement restrictions not only affect the main outbreak area within the 6-kilometer radius but also extend to a total of 91 towns in the Barcelona metropolitan area within a 20-kilometer radius of the initial outbreak, as well as nearby natural parks. The Department of Agriculture has restricted access to natural areas until December 14, but depending on how the epidemic evolves, this period could be extended starting next Monday.
Furthermore, in the "coming days", the Government will convene the Wild Boar Roundtable, where a proposed schedule of actions for 2026 will be presented with the aim of reducing the wild boar population throughout the country, such as the advisor himself announced This Wednesday, Ordeig confirmed at a press conference in Lleida. The Catalan government's objective is to reduce the total number of wild boars by half in the coming years, from the current figure of between 125,000 and 180,000, depending on the time of year.
Moderation of the price decline
Ordeig also explained that the Dominican Republic has accepted the provincial regionalization of pork trade. The Caribbean country is thus following China's regionalization model, which has also banned the entry of pork products from the Barcelona area, but accepts imports from the rest of Catalonia and Spain. Other countries have followed the EU's criteria and only prohibit pork imports from farms located in the 91 municipalities of the affected area. Meanwhile, Mercolleida, the main pork market in Spain, saw a moderation in the price decline of pork on Thursday. The price of fattened pigs fell by six euro cents; suckling pigs by two euros; and young pigs by two cents. In the case of fattening pigs, the price decrease has returned to within the usual maximum variation range after two consecutive drops of 10 cents due to the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). In statements collected by EFE, the general manager of Mercolleida, Miquel Àngel Bergés, indicated that "the situation remains serious, but it is no longer as exceptional as during the first week of the outbreak, and the situation is somewhat better than it was then." The reference exchange for pork prices considers containing the outbreak and resolving exports to third countries such as Japan and the Philippines to be priorities. Juan Pedro Florido, operations director of the Murcia-based company El Pozo and a member of the Mercolleida pork price board, explained that, with the new price decrease, the economic impact for producers throughout Spain is estimated at around 30 million euros per week, although he expects "some stability" in the market.
Possible origin in a laboratory
Regarding the origin of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, Ordeig said that experts from the European reference laboratory are at the Animal Health Research Center (CRESA-IRTA) on Thursday. The center is located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Bellaterra, near where the first cases were identified. Given the suspicion that the virus may have originated at this center, Ordeig stressed the need for caution while awaiting the experts' investigation. "Everyone is focused on this issue, and when we have verified and reliable information, we will share it and make decisions based on that information," he stated.
