Belgium asks hunters to stay away from ASF infected areas

Published Nov 25, 2024

Tridge summary

The Belgium Federal Agency for the Protection of the Foodchain (FAVV) is urging hunters to be on alert for African Swine Fever (ASF) as the hunting season begins. Hunters have been advised not to bring any wild swine meat or products from high-risk areas to prevent the disease from spreading to Belgium, which has been ASF-free since 2018. The FAVV has emphasized the importance of hunters following hygiene guidelines and reporting any suspected cases to control the spread of the disease, which can affect both wild swine populations and the professional pig sector.

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Original content

At the start of the hunting season, the Belgium Federal Agency for the Protection of the Foodchain (FAVV) has asked hunters to be extra vigilant for African Swine Fever (ASF) and to keep out of areas where ASF infected wild swine have been found. ‘Do not bring with you any meat, hunting trophies or products of wild swine from risk areas to prevent the disease from spreading to the country’, FAVV adds. Belgium had its last ASF cases in 2018. “No less than 28 non-EU countries decided to stop the import of Belgium pork into their territories. 70% of that third-countries’ export market vanished. It took years of negotiations with many of those countries before they lifted their embargo,” federal minister for agriculture David Clarinval stated. ASF does not only affect the wild swine population but can also damage the professional pig sector in Belgium, according to the FAVV. This summer, a large number of ASF cases were found near Frankfurt in Germany at just 200 kilometers from the ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult