PSA Spain: Catalonia strengthens hunting pressure

The Minister of Agriculture of Catalonia, Òscar Ordeig, met yesterday with the technical group on wild animals, created to contain the African swine fever (ASF) and to coordinate the efforts to control the wild boar, a national priority. The group is composed of researchers from IRTA-CReSA, representatives of the College of Veterinarians, technicians from various departments of the Catalan government, and experts in wild animals. Ordeig called for the "involvement of all those who can collaborate in the management of hunting: hunting federations and associations, local authorities, and agricultural organizations." He insisted that "it is necessary to urgently and continuously increase the pressure of hunting until the current wild boar populations are reduced." Since 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture has been offering an incentive program for wild boar hunting, with the aim of reducing the population of these animals in the wild and contributing to the ...