Poland extends period for shooting wild boars amid swine fever fears

Brandenburg and Saxony, eastern states in Germany, have begun work to build a fence along the border to keep out the virus.

Warsaw (dpa) – Authorities in the Polish province of Lubusz have extended a period for shooting wild boars in a bid to prevent the spread of African swine fever. Fears of the virus spreading to Germany, a major hog producer, increased on January 21 when one case was located just 12 kilometres from the German border.

Dozens of boar cadavers infected with the virus have been found in Lubusz since mid-November.

The official order for hunting associations in Lubusz Voivodeship is now valid until February 15, Zofia Batorczak, a veterinary official, told the PAP news agency on Saturday.

Brandenburg and Saxony, eastern states in Germany, have begun work to build a fence along the border to keep out the virus, a highly infectious and often deadly disease that affects wild and domestic pigs.

There is currently no vaccine against the virus, which is not dangerous to humans.

Batorczak said hunters in Lubusz have already killed 1,214 wild boars in response to the official order. None of the dead animals was found to have African swine fever.

The goal is to kill over 2,000 boars in an attempt to stop the virus spreading amid fears of its impact on the agricultural industry.

The Polish hunters are offered around 150 euros (163 dollars) per female and 70 euros per male boar that they kill.