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African swine fever — Agrarian — Animals — Associations — district of ludwigslust-parchim — Epizootic — Europe — German Federal States — Germany — Heavy — Hunt — Hunter — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — Spd — Swine fever — Till Backhaus — virus

Swine fever banned from MV: State promotes hunting

Swine fever banned from MV: State promotes hunting

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Swine fever banned from MV: State promotes hunting
Swine fever banned from MV: State promotes hunting

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Minister of Agriculture, Till Backhaus (SPD), celebrates a victory against African swine fever (ASF) - a first for Germany and Europe. Backhaus acknowledges the crucial role of hunters in the state's successful combat against ASF, which affected the region during autumn 2021. The disease, harmless to humans, poses a threat to domestic pigs and requires strict measures to prevent its introduction.

Following the discovery of infected wild boars in Ludwigslust-Parchim, the district faced restrictions and intensive hunting of black pigs. The last restrictions in the region were lifted in September 2022. However, precautions still remained essential in Vorpommern-Greifswald due to fresh cases detected in neighboring Poland. Protective fences parallel to the border aim to prevent wild animal movement.

Backhaus talked about how the hunting tax, paid by hunters, was fully utilized for hunting promotion. In the past year, approximately 479,000 euros were distributed in grants, primarily going to the state hunting association and supporting initiatives like wildlife research, game marketing, and nature education for children.

With fewer wild boar populations due to increased hunting in previous years, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's hunters reported a 20% decrease in animals hunted in the latest hunting year, recording approximately 125,000 animals.

The proposed amendment to the state hunting law is currently a subject of debate within the community. The president of the state hunting association, Thomas Nießen, stepped down from this position due to internal disputes.

The European Union closely monitors the ASF situation, as it is an epizootic disease causing severe losses in the European agrarian sector. Hunters, who often come into contact with infected animals in rural areas, play a vital role in early detection and reporting of the virus.

Sources:

Enrichment Data:

  1. The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) conducts research on African swine fever, focusing on population dynamics, disease outbreaks in wild boars, and human-wildlife interactions in urban areas. This research could provide critical data for combating the disease.
  2. The FAO updates the world on global avian influenza viruses with zoonotic potential, offering guidelines for public health and animal health measures, similar to those needed to manage ASF.
  3. Hunters could play a crucial role in controlling wild boar populations, which often carry ASF, by reducing wild boar numbers to help mitigate the disease's spread.
  4. An interdisciplinary approach, combining expertise from biology and veterinary medicine, is critical in efficiently dealing with African swine fever, involving veterinarians, epidemiologists, and wildlife managers.

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