South Korea resumes pork exports on a weekend with no new cases

BarcelonaThe Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, confirmed this Sunday that the Catalan government is controlling the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) detected in Collserola. "The main objective was to contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading beyond the 6-kilometer radius. We have achieved this," he stated in a press conference, also emphasizing that the number of wild boars affected by the virus remains at 13. "There are no new positive cases," the minister stressed, adding that Korea has reported that...

After analyzing more than one hundred wild boars, the Catalan government affirms that the main objective has been achieved: no new infections were detected this weekend. A control zone with a 20-kilometer radius, encompassing a total of 91 municipalities, was established around Collserola, where the first cases were identified. This area is divided into a high-risk zone, with a radius of 6 kilometers (encompassing 12 municipalities), and a low-risk zone, extending up to 20 kilometers (79 municipalities). To date, all infected specimens have been found within the high-risk perimeter.

In addition to containment, one of the government's other objectives is the gradual reopening of pork export markets outside the European Union (EU) after the Spanish government had to suspend all exports when the outbreak was declared, in accordance with EU and international health protocols. Ordeig confirmed that South Korea was one of the last countries to resume exports. The Asian nation opted for the criteria applied by the EU itself, which only prohibits the entry of products originating within 91 municipalities, within a 20-kilometer radius. Thus, South Korea follows the path of the United Kingdom, one of Catalonia's main markets outside Europe, along with China and Japan. In this regard, China, the leading exporter, has chosen a different approach and has accepted the entry of pork, with the exception of that originating from the Barcelona region. The regional minister stated that negotiations are still underway with Japan, as well as with the Philippines and other markets. "We expect to have news in the coming days," he remarked. In total, Catalonia exports around €1 billion worth of pork annually outside the EU and another €2 billion to EU countries.

Restrictions during the long weekend

With the expansion of containment measures to 91 municipalities around Collserola, the number of farms located within a 20-kilometer radius of the initial outbreak was also increased to 55, following Brussels' guidelines. These farms, where no swine fever infection has been detected, are prohibited from the entry and exit of live animals, with the exception of those destined for slaughter. Despite having a capacity for 80,000 animals, Ordeig explained that the 55 farms house 61,500 head of cattle, of which 35,600 are fattening pigs. These are the ones that will be allowed to go to slaughter once they are confirmed to be free of the disease. In this regard, the regional minister asked citizens to "support" the sector and consume its products without any risk during this challenging time.

Meanwhile, more than a thousand officers, including Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), local police, and firefighters, are working another day to enforce the restrictions affecting the natural environment within the 20-kilometer control zone. In the 91 municipalities included, access to or any recreational activity in natural parks, wooded areas, riverbeds and streams, meadows, and farmland is prohibited. This access ban comes right in the middle of the Immaculate Conception long weekend. "These are difficult days: it's essential to comply with the prohibitions. We've reinforced the checkpoints and personnel, but we need the public's cooperation," said Ordeig. However, the department has reported that "in general, everyone has respected the prohibitions" that will help contain the virus. The regional minister also expressed gratitude for the more than 1,400 calls to 112 related to swine fever, but reminded the public that calls should only be made when animals are spotted. Over several kilometers, teams coordinated by Rural Agents and the General Directorate of Forests are working on the ground to detect dead animals and capture them.

Regarding the audit in charge at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) to clarify the origin of the outbreak followingthe suspicion that the origin could be found in a laboratoryOrdeig has once again called for calm. "We are not ruling anything out, but we ask for prudence," he asserted. The investigation will review all the facilities and protocols of research centers and laboratories working with African swine fever (ASF) within a 20-kilometer radius of the active outbreak, although the inclusion of some from outside this area is not ruled out. The Catalan government plans to present on Monday the researchers who will decide which centers will be included in this audit, which will be led by the director of IRTA, Josep Usall. "The best biosafety experts from Catalonia and Spain will be involved," Ordeig explained. Professionals from the Basque Country and Madrid will participate, and the Catalan government said it has also contacted its European counterparts to request their collaboration. The audit is one more measure among all those being taken to understand how the swine fever outbreak originated, following the inquiry opened by the Department of Agriculture and the joint investigation being carried out by the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and the Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard).

However, the Catalan government has not yet released the list of centers to be analyzed. "They need to give us a little more time," argued Minister Ordeig. The Catalan government emphasizes that the Animal Health Research Center (IRTA-CReSA) in Bellaterra is the only center in Catalonia working with this virus, but other institutions are pursuing lines of research that may be related. For example, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) is located just a few meters from IRTA. Although there are no other centers that can conduct direct experiments with the virus, it is possible that they will carry out preliminary research, inspections, or sample analyses.