Estonia is ready to exterminate wild boars to prevent new ASF outbreaks
The decision was made by the Ministry of Environment, which says these measures are necessary to prevent the spreading of the virus through livestock farms, as reported by err.ee.
"We can not influence the spread of ASF in the forests, as this disease spreads in nature, like other diseases, as a result, the forest dwellers develop immunity to them, and they continue to live without problems with them. But today we try to keep the population at a low level only in order to prevent the spread of pig plague on farms, "the adviser of the Ministry of Environment for hunting Tõnu Traks explained.
The Estonian authorities explain that this measure will stop the virus from spreading and will eradicate it altogether in the long term. Still, according to local media, some hunters believe that a sharp decline in wild boar numbers will cause a new problem regarding wolves.
Andres Lillemäe, deputy executive director of the Estonian Hunters' Union, said that wolves will begin to look for compensating resources for food, which could put in danger other livestock such as sheep and cows.
Between January and June this year, 649 wild boars were shot, almost two-thirds of them in Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, as reported by Hiiu Leht.
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