Hunters criticize having to extract blood from slain wild boars "without training".

BarcelonaWild boar hunters are complaining that the Department of Agriculture is forcing them to take blood samples to determine if animals outside the African swine fever (ASF) risk zone are contaminated. According to the hunters, the samples are being taken "without any training," after attending a meeting where a veterinarian demonstrated the process using a video. Enric Vélez, president of the hunters' association AgrupCat, told ACN that he considers the process "reckless" and that, for "biosecurity" reasons, it should be carried out by experts. Other members of the group have pointed to excessive bureaucracy as the problem. The complaint comes after the government detected [something] last week Two positive cases of African swine fever in Molins de ReiOutside the initial 6 km radius that defined the African swine fever (ASF) ground zero in Catalonia, positive cases were detected. This was the first time positive results had been detected outside the high-risk area, forcing its expansion to include Molins and El Papiol. The hunters' criticism stems from a recent regulatory change implemented by the Department of Agriculture to allow wild boar hunts in low-risk areas. This modification requires blood samples to be taken from all hunted animals, a task that must be carried out by the hunters themselves. The president of AgrupCat pointed out that the average age of hunters in Catalonia "is around 65" and that many members of the group "have never even held a needle." Vélez criticized the samples, stating that they are "highly dangerous biological material" and that transporting them with the hunters could lead to "ruin in rural areas." "What we don't want is to be blamed if the disease spreads," Vélez emphasized. Meanwhile, the president of the Catalan Hunting Federation, Joaquín Zarzoso—who is also president of one of the hunting societies operating within the 20-kilometer radius of the low-risk zone for African swine fever (ASF)—told ARA that the health risk is not new. "We hunters are used to cleaning up wild boars from years past," Zarzoso pointed out, adding that "there are wild boars with tuberculosis that have been handled during the marketing process" and that, therefore, "the risk has always existed."

complex process

On the contrary, Zarzoso believes the current discontent stems from the complexity of the process. "With this operational range, up to the 20 kilometers we're currently operating within, the protocol is incredibly laborious," he emphasized. In this regard, the hunter explained that the process begins with reporting the hunts and their locations. Once the animals are hunted, samples must be taken from each wild boar in two tubes, and then a series of data points must be filled out to ensure proper traceability. Finally, the samples must be taken to the regional offices of the Generalitat (Catalan government), and the hunted boars placed in designated containers. "All of this entails a significant expense in both time and money," Zarzoso stressed. However, the president of the Catalan Hunting Federation asserted that although "help from the administration is needed because hunters are bearing the costs," he understands that this is an extraordinary situation: "As a hunting community, we must help within our means."

In response to complaints from the sector, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, asked hunters for "calm" this Monday and assured them that the protocol is working properly and is being implemented in accordance with expert advice. However, the minister expressed his willingness to listen to hunters' concerns and clarify any questions. He also explained that if it is necessary to "adapt any element" of the procedure, they will do so, but he also took the opportunity to highlight that, to date, the system has allowed for the hunting of approximately 2,000 wild boar per week.