A national emergency
"We have confidence in the extraordinary commissioner's work and in the strategies to contain the emergency: now that all the points of the new ordinance have been clarified, everyone must do their part with determination to quell and block the virus's path before it's too late," said Andrea Elmi, president of Coldiretti Lucca, at the end of the meeting with Giovanni Filippini, the extraordinary commissioner for the swine fever emergency, organized by the Union of Municipalities of Garfagnana, held in Castelnuovo. "Swine fever is a national emergency. It is one of the most resilient viruses in the world, with extremely high mortality rates among wild boars and domestic pigs. Pigs can travel up to 2 km per month and can survive for two weeks under shoes, but it can be defeated!" the Commissioner began, presenting the eradication plan's strategy point by point and inviting everyone involved to collaborate in managing an epidemic that has a huge economic impact on the pig farming and tourism sectors. In Tuscany, 4 farms and 130 pigs are potentially at risk.
Great participation
The meeting with the commissioner comes a few days after last week's violent protest in Lucca by 500 farmers Coldiretti brought the animals to the streets to demand regional institutions step up their management of the emergency, which has so far been deemed insufficient and inadequate compared to the alarm level. The Alpine Rescue room was packed. Coldiretti was represented by the provincial president of the main agricultural organization, Elmi, along with regional director Angelo Corsetti, provincial director Francesco Cianciulli, and delegations from Pistoia, Pisa, and Livorno with their respective directors. Numerous mayors from the area were present, as well as the president of the province of Lucca, regional councilors, representatives of the Tuscany Region, Provincial Police, and the Consortia for the Protection of Prosciutto Toscano DOP and Finocchiona IGP, demonstrating a concern that extends beyond the current outbreak area. Many hunters and farmers were also present.
A calamity within a calamity
"Wild boars are a disaster within a disaster: they devastate our crops and spread swine fever," Elmi reiterated. And the news coming from surveillance activities, a cornerstone of the commissioner's strategy, confirms that the virus is present in the area and that "this is not the time to grant exemptions to hunting," the commissioner clarified. Five infected wild boar carcasses were found in recent days, one each in the municipalities of Minucciano, Camporgiano, and San Romano, and two in Piazza al Serchio, where four had already been identified in previous days, triggering restrictions as far away as the municipality of Abetone Cutigliano. "We are not looking for anyone to blame or to take responsibility," explained Coldiretti Toscana director Angelo Corsetti in his speech. "Everyone must do their part, within their own area of responsibility. It's clear that in this complicated situation, hunters have an important role, both in active surveillance, which is essential for understanding how the virus is moving across the territory, and in preventative depopulation efforts in areas where the virus is not present. It's a team effort."
The first point to discuss
The new measures, compared to the commissioner's ordinance, include increased surveillance efforts with the deployment of six sniffer dogs trained to quickly identify and remove infected wild boar carcasses, along with 20 cages—a measure also requested by farmers—and the installation of barriers along the Viareggio-Pistoia-Lucca railway line, which will serve to limit the passage of ungulates and prevent the virus from spreading southward. "The epidemic," concluded the regional director, "will be the first issue we will discuss with the new health and agri-food councilors of the Tuscany Region" (source: Coldiretti).
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