Finland plans African swine fever buffer zone next week

Finland’s Food Authority plans to establish an additional restriction zone around the current African swine fever infection zone next week, Yle reports.

The 5 to 10-kilometre-wide buffer zone could be introduced on Thursday, September 10, said Terhi Laaksonen, director of the Food Authority’s department for animal health and welfare.

The restrictions would apply only to wild boar. Hunting wild boar would be permitted and even recommended, but samples would have to be submitted to the Food Authority from animals that are killed or found dead.

Authorities may also carry out additional inspections at pig farms in the new zone. The Food Authority has not yet decided whether to organise searches for wild boar there. Laaksonen said the main focus of disease-control measures would remain on the existing infection zone, and the size of the additional zone could change as the situation develops.

Second core area under consideration

The Food Authority is also considering establishing a second African swine fever core area in the western part of the infection zone. The existing core area is in Vaalimaa in the Kymenlaakso region.

The infection zone was expanded westwards last Friday after African swine fever was found in a wild boar discovered dead in Hirvikoski, Pyhtää.

The expanded zone covers the municipalities of Kotka, Hamina and Pyhtää in Kymenlaakso. It also extends to Ylämaa in South Karelia and to the municipalities of Loviisa and Lapinjärvi in Uusimaa.

Laaksonen said the Food Authority does not yet have a sufficiently detailed picture of the situation to justify establishing another core area. She added that it could also extend into Uusimaa.

Restrictions eased in infection zone

The Food Authority changed its African swine fever restrictions on Tuesday. The new rules apply to all parts of the infection zone except the core area in Virolahti.

Under the revised restrictions, forestry work and soil cultivation are allowed, except for controlled burning.

Virpi Reinikainen, executive director of MTK Southeast Finland, said the changes were significant for forestry and other industries in the infection zone. Planned forestry transactions that had stalled can now move forward, while soil cultivation will help advance agricultural work.

However, Reinikainen said the changes would not resolve all the problems faced by farmers and others in the zone. Hunting remains completely prohibited, she said, and could create further challenges if the situation continues. She called for the restrictions to be reviewed more closely by animal species.