Wild Boar Hunting Announced in Attempts to Prevent African Swine Fever

In its attempts to prevent the spread of African swine fever in Luxembourg, the Government has announced new prevention measures to be taken along the Belgium-Luxembourg border.

The main aim of these measures, announced on Tuesday by Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development Romain Schneider, is to completely eradicate wild boar in the surveillance zone in order to prevent the spread of the swine fever virus on Luxembourg territory.

To this end, private hunting tenants will participate in the shooting of wild boar on all hunting lots in this zone on 4 and 5 July 2019. The Forest and Nature Administration will provide logistical support. In the framework of cross-border cooperation, several Belgian hunters will also take up positions on their hunting territory in case wild boar attempt to cross the border.

Moreover, in close cooperation with the Directorate of Defence, the Luxembourg Army will carry out reconnaissance for the determination of wild boar movements in order to minimise disturbances caused by hunting for game and other species.

These measures, taken in consultation with all actors concerned, hope to result in the total depopulation of wild boar within the surveillance zone by the end of summer at the latest, in accordance with the recommendations of experts from the European Commission.

The population is asked to be vigilant during these two days, not to enter the surveillance zone and to respect meticulously the indications along the paths and cycle tracks juxtaposing this zone.

All slaughtered boar will be delivered to a collection centre for the purpose of taking samples for laboratory analysis and the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development will pay health compensation amounting to €100.

Furthermore, as the risk of spreading the virus on the Belgian side is shifting northward, in addition to the measures taken by the Belgian authorities, Minister Schneider has ordered the study of a route concerning the installation of an additional fence along the Belgium-Luxembourg border, heading north: "It is important that we are ready in case the spread of the virus is via the Anlier forest to the Luxembourg border in order to put the new fence in place as soon as possible".

To date, a total of 211 wild boars have been brought into and analysed at the State Veterinary Medicine Laboratory (LMVE). All test results  for the virus have been negative.

It is recalled that the virus only affects domestic boars and pigs and that any detection of wild boar carcasses should be reported to the Nature and Forest Administration via tel.: 247-56666.