Estonia to buy hunters thermal imaging drones to rein in ASF outbreak
To curb the spread of African swine fever, the state will purchase 10 drones equipped with thermal cameras for hunters to better locate wild boar in fields near outbreak sites. Pig farmers will also receive support to temporarily put disused farms back into operation.
The government has allocated funding to the Environmental Board to purchase 10 drones for hunters' use. Each device costs between €6,000 and €6,500, bringing the total close to €65,000.
"These are not ordinary drones — they are equipped with thermal imaging, which allows hunters to detect wild boar at dusk, at night and in areas where other observation tools don't work," said Aimar Rakko, hunting adviser at the Ministry of Climate.
The Environmental Board has launched a tender and the drones are expected to be in use by hunters across Estonia by late August or early September, particularly in areas with outbreaks. At first, hunters will likely need to work with experienced drone operators.
"Environmental Board staff who already have drone skills can help here. Considering these are quite expensive devices, we can't hand them over to complete beginners. The operator must have flown a drone before," Rakko said.
"But I think hunters can also cooperate with many hobby drone pilots. For them, trying out thermal drones would be new and interesting — to see how they work," he added.
As an exception, hunting dogs will also be permitted to help flush wild boar from fields, something that is normally banned in the summer.
"If we detect wild boar in a cornfield with drones, we still need a way to get them out. It's not feasible for people to chase them, because the boar are very good at escaping and we'd just end up trampling the entire field, like in a slapstick film," Rakko explained.
"Normally, the use of hunting dogs is prohibited in summer because animals have young and it would cause serious disturbances for other wildlife if we drove them with dogs. So right now we want to limit this only to fields," he said.
To help pig farmers, the government will also allow the rapid reopening of disused pig farms. These backup facilities are needed for piglets that would otherwise be added to regular farms. If an outbreak is detected in a farm, it must be emptied, disinfected and left unused for three months.
"Unfortunately, we can't ask sows to wait before farrowing — the cycles are weekly and in some places daily. The animals have to be housed somewhere," said Timo Vunder, chairman of the supervisory board of the Estonian Pig Breeding Association.
"If 20,000 pigs have already been culled, then we practically need space for the same number again," he added. "But there are two problems: first, the environmental permits for those facilities have been suspended or expired. Under normal circumstances, obtaining a permit can take years. Second, old farms lack the necessary equipment and that requires investment," Vunder said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Mari Peegel
