Swine fever in Collserola: access restrictions to the forest are relaxed

BarcelonaStarting this Monday, the Catalan government is relaxing restrictions on access to the natural areas of municipalities within the second perimeter of the African swine fever outbreak. As confirmed on Friday, access to this area, which is not considered high-risk, is now permitted. Specifically, this area extends from 6 kilometers to 20 kilometers from the epicenter of the outbreak (the point where the first carcasses were found). This includes land in approximately 70 towns, such as Barcelona, ​​Badalona, ​​and L'Hospitalet. However, the same restrictions will remain in place for the municipalities closest to the outbreak: Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barberà del Vallès, Bahia del Vallès, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Ripollet, Montcada i Reixac, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Sabadell, Polinyà, Terrassa, and Rubí.

Within the perimeter that is reopening today, residents can now take walks or exercise individually. However, organized activities remain prohibited within this second perimeter. Until now, access to natural parks, wooded areas, riverbeds and streams, and meadows and farmland outside urban centers was not permitted in the municipalities included in this low-risk zone.

"We are trying to avoid bringing large crowds of people to the area." The Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, asked for "caution" and "cooperation" from the public last Friday and reminded them that all restrictions remain in place within the first perimeter, which is considered high-risk and affects a dozen municipalities. He also confirmed three new cases of wild boars dying from African swine fever (ASF) in the area where the first outbreak was detected, in Collserola. With Friday's confirmations, the number of animals that have died from this virus detected in Catalonia has risen to 16. In addition to the three new positive cases, 115 wild boar carcasses found dead in the wild or on roads and railway lines in the infected area and its surroundings have also been analyzed and have tested negative. In a statement, the ministry explained that the official veterinary services of Catalonia are continuing visits and sampling at 55 farms located in the area considered to be at highest risk—the municipalities within a 20-kilometer radius of the outbreak's epicenter—which remain free of the disease. The high-risk area, under lockdown

On the other hand, the Rural Agents have intensified the security measures within a six-kilometer radius of the African swine fever outbreak: they have closed 54 wild boar crossing points and repaired 22 potential escape routes near roads such as the C-16, AP-7, FE-7, and C-5, in the immediate area. This reinforcement will remain in place for at least two months, according to Chief Inspector Antoni Mur, who explained that this area encompasses 14,000 hectares that are being continuously monitored to track wild boar and detect any new carcasses due to the swine fever. Approximately 300 personnel from Rural Agents, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), and the Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service (ADF) are working daily, on foot and with the assistance of canine units in the more rugged terrain.

Once the first radius was secured, they began capturing wild boars in the second ring—the one extending up to 20 kilometers—using cages and silenced weapons. In this second area, since the control began two weeks ago, they have found more than 200 dead wild boars, most of them victims of road accidents, as Mur explained.