The Catalan government extends restrictions on access to the natural environment to 91 municipalities due to swine fever.

BarcelonaThe Catalan government has extended access restrictions to natural areas to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF). Until now, leisure activities were prohibited in areas considered natural environments in 12 municipalities and the Collserola Natural Park, and now the ban has been extended to 79 more municipalities until December 14. Thus, in 91 municipalities, leisure activities (walking, running, cycling), hunting, and forestry activities are prohibited within areas classified as natural environments, according to a resolution from the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food published this Friday. Official Gazette of the Generalitat (DOGC). Natural areas are defined as wooded areas; riverbeds and streams; meadows and cultivated fields; and parks and paths outside urban areas, in addition to natural parks, according to sources from the Department of Agriculture. Access to the Collserola Natural Park also remains closed, and now the protected natural areas of Sant Llorenç del Munt, Sant Miquel del Fai, the Marina Range, the Coastal Range, and the Besòs River Park have been added.

Access to homes and professional activities, or those unrelated to personal leisure, such as normal academic activity in schools and at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​located in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès, where the outbreak began, remains permitted. Therefore, restaurants, riding stables, sports centers, and other businesses located in natural areas within the municipalities affected by the restrictions may operate normally, but the government asks customers and users to limit access to the usual routes. However, the movement of flocks of sheep or goats is not allowed—although African swine fever (ASF) does not affect sheep and goats—to prevent the spread of potentially contaminated pig biological remains. The government will provide businesses with disinfectants for shoes and vehicle wheels, along with instructions on how to use them and which types are most effective. It will also install disinfection areas outside businesses. The resolution does not require citizens to disinfect, but the Government recommends it as a measure to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF). In these 79 municipalities, the restrictions approved this Friday will remain in effect until December 14. From the 15th onwards, they will only be maintained for scheduled leisure activities in natural areas involving large groups of people (for example, mountain races and pilgrimages in natural areas). Among the measures in the resolution is also a change in the nomenclature of the areas affected by the restrictions, following the recommendations made by the European Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture. Thus, the 12 municipalities located within a 6-kilometer radius of the point where the first two infected wild boars were found will be reclassified from "infected zone" to "high-risk zone." The remaining 79 municipalities located between 6 and 20 kilometers will be reclassified from "surveillance zone" to "low-risk zone." For now, the Catalan government is maintaining a deployment of over 700 officers, including Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), local police, and firefighters, to prevent public access to the restricted areas. These officers have set up fixed and mobile checkpoints. In addition, another 300 personnel continue to examine the affected areas in search of dead or sick wild boar. Yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture increased the number of wild boar tested positive for the virus from 9 to 13, all found within the 6-kilometer radius. Despite the increase, the Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, stated this Friday in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio that "the percentage of positive cases has decreased dramatically." The laboratory at the Animal Health Research Center (CRESA-IRTA) is analyzing all dead or hunted wild boars found in the affected area. If any infected cases are found, they are sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture in Algete (Madrid), which confirms positive cases.

Culling of farm pigs ruled out

Aside from control measures, the epidemic continues to have an economic impact on the Catalan agri-food industry. This Friday, the company GCT Plus, based in Santa Eugenia de Berga (Osona), filed for temporary layoffs (ERTE) for 458 workers, citing the effects of African swine fever (ASF) on the company's operations, according to ACN. Some of these affected employees worked for other companies such as Grupo Jorge, Rivasam, and Le Porc. In fact, yesterday Mercolleida, the benchmark market in Spain for pork prices, called for the culling of some 30,000 pigs in Catalonia from the affected area to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country. Furthermore, the wholesale market reduced the price of pork by 10 cents and warned that slaughterhouses will run out of space for frozen meat "in a matter of days."

Although regulations would allow it should the epidemic spread across the territory or to livestock farms, the Department of Agriculture is currently ruling out authorizing the culling of any animals, arguing that no infections have yet been detected among cattle on any of the 39 farms located within the designated area. These farms are prohibited from allowing live animals to enter or leave their premises, with the exception of those destined for slaughter. This week, technicians from the regional government inspected the farms and tested the animals, finding no evidence of the virus. They made recommendations to the farms to increase hygiene and disinfection measures beyond the usual ones to prevent contagion. A second round of inspections will be carried out on the farms next week. African swine fever (ASF) is highly infectious, but only affects domestic pigs and wild boar and has no impact on the health of humans or any other animal species.