The measures imposed on the 63,000-hectare Swine Fever safety perimeter in Belgium will continue for an undefined period. The perimeter was set up after an African Swine Fever epidemic hit the South of the Luxembourg province in mid-September. Additional measures will be applied to a new 28,000-hectare vigilance zone, the Walloon Agriculture Minister René Collin (cdH) announced on Friday.
The location of the vigilance zone has been decided by European authorities. It is situated North of the first perimeter. There will be no specific bio-security conditions and no restrictions on traffic, forestry work and game hunting (apart from wild boar).
However, getting rid of all the boar in the area and transporting them to two collections centres in Viessart and Florenville (opened specifically for this purpose) will be necessary.
Those with a hunting licence in the affected area will organise at least three collective hunting days in January and February 2019 to help reduce the wild boar population. There could be exceptions for those that don’t have one, the Minister added.
447 wild boar carcasses have been tested, 417 of which came from the affected perimeter. 184 were found to be infected with the Swine Fever. The infection is concentrated around the villages of Buzenol and Ethe and the Lagland military base. None of the boar from outside the perimeter were infected.
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The Brussels Times
