Finland establishes new zone to control swine fever
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Finland’s Food Authority, Ruokavirasto, created a new restriction zone to combat African swine fever, enacting the changes on Thursday.
The zone forms a buffer between areas with confirmed cases of the disease and the rest of the country, extending five to ten kilometers around the current infection zone. Ruokavirasto believes this additional zone is currently free of the virus. The new zone primarily restricts activities related to wild boars.
Hunters may now kill wild boars within the zone, but they must submit samples to Ruokavirasto for testing. They cannot move boar carcasses or meat out of the zone to unrestricted areas. People keeping pigs in the zone must protect them from contact with wild boars and maintain biosecurity measures. Moving live pigs outside of Finland from the zone is prohibited, but domestic transport within Finland faces no restrictions. Ruokavirasto also eased some hunting restrictions within the existing infection zone.
Hunting is now permitted in the zone’s maritime areas, islands, and skerries, including hunting for cormorants and seals. Trapping of small predators and hunting of moose through still hunting on fields are also allowed. Additionally, protective hunting of white-fronted geese is permitted. The authority also issued new restrictions regarding allowing dogs to roam freely within the infection zone.
