Swine Fever Outbreak Threatens Nordic Region, Urgent Action Needed
The swine fever outbreak in Sweden is not only posing a threat to animal health and pig production in the country but also to the entire Nordic region, warns Bjørn Gimming, chairman of the board of the farmers’ organization Norges Bondelag. This worrying situation has arisen since Sweden accepted wild boars as part of its fauna.
In Sweden, there are approximately 300,000 wild boars, while Norway has significantly fewer, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000. The discovery of swine fever in Swedish wild boars has prompted a change in strategy, shifting from aiming for the smallest possible number of wild boars to exterminating them entirely.
Bjørn Gimming and the Norwegian Farmers’ Union are now urging Sweden to alter its strategy and reduce the wild boar population as much as possible. The risk of swine fever is closely tied to the number of wild boars present. Gimming explains that African swine fever can only exist in a country with wild boars. Therefore, it would be wise to decrease the number of wild boars to mitigate the risk of this disease.
Moreover, an outbreak of swine fever does not only impact pig farmers but also other activities in affected areas, such as forestry and outdoor activities. Gimming emphasizes that the potential positive effects of having wild boars in a country are minimal compared to the negative consequences. Alongside the risk of African swine fever, wild boars cause traffic accidents and damage agricultural land and private property.
The swine fever outbreak in Sweden has also sparked concerns in Finland. A working group within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has proposed extensive shooting to reduce the population by half. Although Finland’s wild boar population is currently much smaller than Sweden’s, with approximately 2,500 to 3,000 animals, the group believes that an even lower population would make it easier to eliminate a potential swine fever outbreak.
In Sweden, a recent survey conducted by LRF with the help of Sifo reveals that many people believe the wild boar population is too large. 64 percent of men and 63 percent of women surveyed held this view. The opinion that the wild boar population is too large is repeated across different party affiliations, with the lowest percentage found in the Green Party.
The urgent need to address the swine fever outbreak and take action to control the wild boar population is evident. It not only threatens animal health and pig production but also various sectors and activities within the Nordic region. Efforts must be made to limit the strain and reduce the risk of African swine fever. Failure to do so could have severe consequences for the agricultural industry, outdoor activities, and general safety in the affected areas.