Prohibition of all hunting activities except for the selective hunting of wild boar for 114 Municipalities of which 78 in Piedmont and 36 in Liguria. The area is believed to be infected with African swine fever. In fact, some cases have recently been found in the municipality of Ovada (Alessandria), in two wild boar carcasses in the municipality of Fraconalto (Alessandria) and in that of Isola del Cantone (Genoa).
The stop came with the joint order issued on the evening of January 13 by the ministers of health Roberto Speranza and agricultural policies Stefano Patuanelli. Wild boar selection hunting, the provision specifies, is allowed as a tool to reduce the excess population and strengthen the monitoring network for the presence of the virus. In the area they are instead the collection of mushrooms and truffles is prohibited, fishing, trekking, mountain biking and the other direct interaction activities or indirect with infected wild boars. “The ordinance – it is emphasized – allows production activities to continue working safely, providing reassurance regarding our exports”.
The provisions are effective for six months. Again in the ordinance it is stated that the provisions “also apply to regions with a special statute and to autonomous provinces di Trento and of Bolzano, compatibly with the respective statutes and the relative implementation rules “. The supervision of the application of the measures introduced is ensured by the veterinary services of the territorially competent local health authorities in collaboration with the police. The aim of the joint ordinance is “to put into practice every measure useful to a immediate contrast to diffusion of the PSA and its eradication to protect the health of the national pig fauna and zootechnical heritage and the economic interests connected to non-EU trade and exports to third countries of pigs and derived products “.
“Activities related to health, to the care of kept and wild animals as well as to the health and care of plants, including silvicultural activities, are excluded”, reads the ordinance. “The competent regional services, the document continues, at the request of the interested parties, may authorize, upon justified and documented request, the carrying out of the prohibited activities, based on the risk assessment by the Cerep (National reference center for the study of pestivirus and asfivirus diseases, ed).
The cases of African swine fever (Psa) found in recent days in some wild boars between Piedmont e Liguria have activated precautionary measures at the borders of Switzerland, Kuwait and in East (China, Japan and Taiwan) where a temporary stop has been given, announced Confagricoltura, to the import of meat and cured meats made in Italy. According to estimates, exports are at stake Cia-Italian Farmers, which abut on 1.7 billion euros (+12,2% vs. 2020).