Berry pickers risk fines in African swine fever zone

People who enter forests to pick berries or mushrooms in parts of south-eastern Finland could face criminal penalties under restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of African swine fever, Yle reports. In the disease’s core zone in Virolahti, the restrictions allow people to travel only on roads.

Entering the forest for berry picking, mushroom gathering or recreation is prohibited in the core zone. The wider infection zone covers Virolahti, Miehikkälä and Ylämaa in the southern part of Lappeenranta.

In the wider zone, dogs may be walked only along roads and must remain leashed at all times. Hunting wild animals is also prohibited.

Sirpa Kiviruusu, head of the Finnish Food Authority’s Animal Health and Medication Unit, said that anyone who intentionally or negligently violates provisions of the Animal Diseases Act may be fined, unless a more severe punishment is provided elsewhere in law.

Causing a risk of spreading an animal disease is also a criminal offence under the Criminal Code. If an act could spread the disease and pose a serious danger to animals, the penalty can be a fine or up to six months in prison. Moving materials capable of spreading the infection could create such a risk.

The penalty depends on the restriction breached and the danger caused by the person’s actions. Finland has no directly comparable precedents because African swine fever was detected in the country for the first time in late July.

Earlier restrictions linked to other animal diseases, such as avian influenza in wild birds, have mainly concerned the movement of poultry and poultry products. The Finnish Food Authority said it had not been informed of violations of those restrictions.

Compliance is primarily overseen by the competent veterinary authority in the area, usually a municipal veterinarian or a state veterinarian working for the Finnish Food Authority.

Authorities are carrying out systematic searches for dead wild boars in the restricted area. More veterinary officials than usual are working there because the search is organised by the authorities, and a regional disease control centre has been established.

The Finnish Food Authority can request police assistance if necessary to deal with disturbances, but no such assistance has been needed so far.