Finland plans two fences around African swine fever core zone

Finland’s Food Authority is preparing two parallel fences around the core area of an African swine fever infection zone in southeastern Finland, Yle reports.

Under current plans, an electric fence would be built around the core area, with a second fence outside it. Sirpa Kiviruusu, director of the Food Authority’s unit for animal health and medication, said it was not yet known how far apart the fences would be.

“To some extent, we are drawing on fencing carried out in Germany to combat African swine fever,” Kiviruusu said in an email.

The fences would mainly be used to guide the movement of wild boar and partly to stop them.

The timing of construction has not yet been decided. A consulting company is currently investigating the fences’ location, required permits and design. The expansion of the core area is also affecting where the fences would be placed, Kiviruusu said.

The Food Authority is preparing to expand the core area after African swine fever was detected in a new area of Lappeenranta. Earlier cases had been recorded in Virolahti, Miehikkälä and Pyhtää.

When defining the size of the core area, the authority considers the locations of cases, wild boar movements and possible natural or human-made barriers, such as game fences. It is also using expertise from local hunters, the Finnish Wildlife Agency and the Natural Resources Institute Finland on wild boar movements.

The authority is also considering whether restrictions in the core area should be eased. People are currently not allowed to enter the forest there, meaning activities such as picking berries and mushrooms are prohibited. Movement is allowed only on forest roads.