Science-based wildlife disease response

Abstract

In 2007, the current outbreak of African swine fever (ASF), which severely affects wild boar populations and pigs, reached the Caucasus region. Since then, the virus has spread into eastern Europe and some places in central and western Europe (such as Belgium) through wild boar, domestic pigs, and human activities. The virus has raised serious concerns in countries with large pork industries, which may suffer economic losses due to trade restrictions. To control the outbreak, national authorities have taken drastic but likely ineffective measures that disregard the science of wildlife management. Poland, for example, has massively increased culling of wild boar to minimize ASF spread and the risk of transmission to domestic pigs, despite opposition by experts. The policy does not include population monitoring that could evaluate its effectiveness. It also does not limit wild boar access to agricultural crops and game feed, which is a key driver of population growth. Meanwhile, Denmark is building a 70-km border fence to exclude cross-border migration of wild boar. The fence will disrupt wildlife habitats, but it will not stop the virus from spreading through the transportation of live pigs, wild boar, or pig-and wild boar-derived tissues and products or through the movement of other objects carrying the virus, such as human clothing. Factors that govern wild boar abundance and virus spread are not bound by national borders. Instead of haphazard policies, we urge governments to agree on a coordinated response that adheres to the principles of modern wildlife management. Adaptive wildlife management strategies consider the human dimension and prevent unsound reactive management. Improved wildlife population monitoring and analysis are the best ways to determine which approaches to wildlife management are successful ecologically, economically, and socially. Sustainable management will depend on local circumstances and national wildlife management regulations, but science-based strategies can be implemented at the continental scale. Legislators across Europe should consult scientists and wildlife and animal health agencies before making decisions about wildlife policy. European countries should coordinate population monitoring and management. Shared responsibility for wildlife management among countries will enable funding for research that can critically evaluate its success. The ASF crisis can serve as a chance to develop a science-based wildlife policy for Europe.

Hunting strategies to increase detection of chronic wasting disease in cervids

“…The CWD outbreak in cervids and ongoing surveillance in Europe 30 and the recent epidemic spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) among wild boar have brought disease questions to a whole new audience in the wildlife management of Europe. The planned culling of wild boar in Poland to combat ASF is met with considerable resistance among conservationists, and it is questioned by those with professional expertise 31 . The emergence of CWD highlights a dilemma in the discovery and surveillance of wildlife diseases when its diagnostics require the post-mortem testing of a species of conservation concern.…”

Disease-Induced Mortality Outweighs Hunting in Causing Wild Boar Population Crash After African Swine Fever Outbreak

“…To our knowledge, there are no published results on wild boar population mortality due to ASF under natural conditions. Considering that wild boar is one of the key species affecting structure and functioning of ecosystems globally (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), knowledge on how ASF affects wild boar populations is crucial to better predict ecosystem response and to gain knowledge to prepare a scientific-based wild boar management plan aimed to control ASF more effectively (19). The default policy in Europe consists in a drastic reduction of wild boar population before ASF incursion (20), and once the disease is present, an active carcass removal within the infected zone combined with intense hunting in buffered zones (21).…”

Variability of daily space use in wild boar Sus scrofa

“…Managing wild boar populations is considered a challenging task (European Food Safety Authority 2014). Detailed knowledge of the behavioural biology is needed for developing tailored wild boar management frameworks (Vicente et al 2019). Therefore, a better understanding of factors which drive the spatio-temporal variation of wild boar behaviour is crucial (Nathan et al 2008).…”