PSA, new ordinance in Lombardy: more killings of wild boars expected

The collection possibilities have been extended, both in the form of wildlife control and hunting activities

Epidemiological evolution

President Attilio Fontana signed a new Ordinance containing provisions for the prevention and control of ASF-African swine fever. “The issuing of a new ordinance – comments President Fontana – became necessary following the epidemiological evolution of ASF after the confirmation of some cases of disease in wild boars in the Ticino Park, both in territories of the province of Pavia and Milan . It should be underlined, however, that currently, for almost a month and a half, no other outbreaks have been recorded in pig farms." The new Ordinance, therefore, includes these new territories, in the areas subject to ASF restrictions in which it is necessary for all citizens to adopt simple but effective biosecurity measures also for outdoor activities. The envisaged measures are adopted in execution and integration of what is contained in Ordinance 5/2023 of the Extraordinary Commissioner for African Swine Fever, Vincenzo Caputo, and may be updated depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation.

The words of councilor Beduschi

“The provision – comments the councilor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Alessandro Beduschi – updates the extraordinary measures to minimize the risk of the disease entering the highly swine-inhabited areas of the Lombardy Po Valley, which has a presence of approximately 5 million pigs, acting in particular on the biosecurity aspects to be adopted and on increasing the possibility of harvesting wild boar, the main vector of the virus, to reduce the presence of the species as much as possible to protect pig breeding activities".

Wildlife control and hunting

As regards the harvesting of wild boars, the provision aims to extend the possibilities of culling, both in the form of wildlife control and hunting activities, in order both to achieve the targets set by the acts of the Extraordinary Commissioner of the PSA, and to reduce as much as possible the presence of the species, reduce and stem the spread of the virus to protect pig livestock activities (source: FIDC).