Special Commissioner
It was held on Thursday 12 February at the headquarters of Province of Modena The meeting on African swine fever was held with the participation of the Special Commissioner for African Swine Fever, Giovanni Filippini, the Regional Councillor for Agriculture and Agri-food, Hunting and Fishing, and EU Relations, Alessio Mammi, the Regional Councillor for Health Policies, Massimo Fabi, the Regional and Local Veterinary Service, and all institutional and private entities involved in the emergency (including the Central Emilia Parks Authority, consortia and sector associations, ATCs, and members of the GOT). Specifically, it was highlighted that approximately €210 will be allocated to Modena for control plans in 2026, out of a regional total of €1,8 million. Additionally, €100 has been allocated to Reggio and Modena for safety measures. The new commissioner's provisions will extend the wild boar hunt from three to four months, bringing it forward to September 1st in some specific areas. Furthermore, the hunting season has been extended until February 28th in the areas designated by the commissioner, and wild boar selection will be possible throughout the year, with extended hours in the 2024/25 hunting calendar.
Discovery of carcasses
For the President of the Province of Modena, Fabio Braglia, "today's meeting demonstrates the great attention that regional and local institutions are paying to this emergency. Our region is not directly affected by cases of swine fever, and precisely for this reason we must continue with all measures to prevent and combat the spread of the virus, so as to preserve our productive and social system. I thank the councilors and the Commissioner for this important moment of discussion, which is essential for strengthening synergies between institutions and ensuring the full effectiveness of measures to contain and reduce the epidemiological risk." Due to the discovery of wild boar carcasses contaminated with African swine fever in Garfagnana, the neighboring areas, including the municipalities of Frassinoro, Fiumalbo, Pievepelago, Montefiorino, Fanano, Montecreto, Palagano, Lama Mocogno, and Sestola, have entered Restriction Zone One, in accordance with the provisions of the recent European Commission Implementing Regulation.
Permitted activities
Regarding permitted activities, residents can go into the woods without any particular restrictions, and all mushroom and truffle picking, hiking, and chestnut harvesting activities are permitted. The only recommendation is to wash or change shoes after each activity to ensure they have not stepped on soil contaminated by PSA and thus become an unwitting carrier. The Region has implemented a series of measures to reduce the presence of wild boars, including the Regional Control Plan, which allows for maximum flexibility of intervention and can be implemented continuously throughout the year, without time restrictions or caps on the number of animals, throughout the entire region.
Hunter training
An ongoing training and information campaign involving pig farms in the province has been underway for some time, along with inspections and meetings with agricultural and production trade associations, supported by the Regional Veterinary Service. This campaign aims to provide ongoing updates based on the epidemiological situation, through courses with the ATC (Agricultural and Food Safety Centers) and the provincial police, training hunters and other hunting professionals included in the national list of bioregulators. Work has also been carried out with the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) to raise awareness among hikers, distributing information posters at access points to trails and nature trails to maximize their visibility. The Emilia-Romagna Region has established the telephone number 051 6092124 to report a dead wild boar or its remains (its carcass or bones) to the Local Health Authority (AUSL) veterinary services by calling the number (source: Province of Modena).
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