Catalonia intensifies culling of wild boars after outbreak of African swine fever near Barcelona.

The Catalonia region in Spain has announced it will intensify the control and culling of wild boars after the detection of the African swine fever (ASF) virus in animals near Barcelona, the first outbreak recorded in the country since 1994. Catalan President Salvador Illa stated on Wednesday (3) that authorities had already been working to reduce the wild boar population due to the public health risk, but the recent outbreak reinforced the need to accelerate containment measures. According to the agricultural association COAG, the wild boar population in Spain has increased by 550% in the last three decades, reflecting the absence of more effective control policies. In the Collserola mountain range, an area near Barcelona, the presence of approximately 1,000 wild boars is estimated, with a density of 9.2 animals per km², down from 17.4 per km² recorded in 2021–22, when the population surged after the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent reduction is partly due to selective culling and other population control measures. The discovery of the outbreak has raised an alarm in the Spanish production sector. Spain is the largest pork producer in the European Union, responsible for 25% of the bloc's supply, and exports around €3.5 billion (US$4.05 billion) per year.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.