ASF Belgium: new measures

Last Friday, the Walloon government passed an order regarding several temporary measures to fight African swine fever.

The old 63,000-hectare perimeter is now divided into 3 specific areas, each one subject to distinct requirements.

Nucleus – 12,562 ha

• Prohibition of hunting, circulation and exploitation of the forest;
• Active search for wild boar corpses, that are systematically tested for ASF.

Buffer area - 29,183 ha

• Prohibition of hunting, feeding and circulation;
• Forest exploitation under individual exemptions reserved to professionals;
• Active search for wild boar corpses, that are systematically tested for ASF;
• Installation of a series of fences.

Strengthened surveillance area - 21,101 ha

• Prohibition of feeding;
• Active search for wild boar corpses, that are systematically tested for ASF;
• Prohibition of all the wild boar and other game hunting methods, with the exception of stalking, chasing and silent drive;
• Compulsory report regarding any wild boar found dead, that will have to be tested for ASF;
• Obligation on the holders of hunting rights of organising the destruction of the wild boars in their fields, especially through the authorisation of night shots. An Administration Officer must draft a statement regarding the shots/mortality for each will boar culled;
• Obligation of having been trained in biosecurity regulations in order to be able to hunt and destroy;
• Sampling from hunted wild boars performed by professionals;
• Testing of the wild boars by sampling;
• Circulation and felling authorised only during the day hours.

The Walloon territory included in these 3 areas is subject to surveillance measures:

• Hunting, movements and felling authorisation;
• Passive surveillance;
• Active search for wild boar corpses, that are systematically tested for ASF;
• Compulsory report regarding any wild boar found dead, that will have to be tested forASF;

Beyond these areas, each wild boar found dead must be notified to the 1718 call centre of Wallonia so it is tested for ASF.

These measures are extended until November 14th. Their goal is to destroy all the wild boar corpses that are acting as contamination sources, stop the spreading of the virus through the strategic installation of fences and reduce the density of wild boars drastically to eradicate the virus.

The installation of fences, backed by the European Commission, does not mean to isolate or confine a certain territory. The installation of fences in strategic places is a supplementary management tool that allows the fragmentation of the territory, as it controls the movements of the wild boars. As of next Tuesday, the first fences will be installed.

The destruction of wild boars has been activated in the strengthened surveillance area. In this same area, the circulation and logging activities are allowed again, but only during the day hours. Regarding the logging activities in the buffer area, the possibility that the forestry professionals obtain individual exceptions under strict biosecurity measures is foreseen