Hunting adviser: African swine fever spreading north in Estonia
African swine fever (ASF) is steadily spreading north in Estonia after devastating wild boar populations and triggering outbreaks at domestic pig farms in the south, hunting adviser Marko Vinni said.
"The current state of things in the forests is not normal," Vinni said, noting that the situation can vary greatly by location.
"In some areas, ASF has already done a lot of damage to wild boars," he continued. "In other areas, wild boar numbers are higher and we need to bring them down through hunting. And then there are places where, from our perspective, things actually look okay — the wild boar population is low enough that the disease shouldn't be spreading too badly."
The counties hit hardest right now are Võru, Valga and Põlva, counties to the south where the virus crossed over again from Latvia late last year. Hunting data suggests wild boar numbers there are already low — evidence that ASF has taken a toll.
But the recent outbreak at Ekseko Farm in Viljandi County shows the virus is on the move.
"[That case] is clear proof that ASF has actually gained a strong foothold in Viljandi County," the hunting adviser acknowledged, adding that signs have already appeared in Pärnu County. "And it's slowly moving northward from there."
Containment efforts in Estonia rely heavily on hunters. This year, the state has ordered a cull of 19,800 wild boars.
"What matters isn't the exact number," Vinni explained. "What matters is that the population and numbers are reduced."
He pointed out that hunting is done voluntarily, noting that the fewer boars there are, the more resource-intensive hunting them becomes.
"We do this in our free time, on our own dime," the adviser said. "After work, we head out into the forest to try to bring wild boar numbers down."
The Estonian government has also supported monitoring efforts, including the use of drones. Vinni emphasized that drones aren't used to hunt animals, but to track movements and conduct surveillance near farms.
"As we've said, drones are necessary tools," he said.
Ordinary people can play a role too. Anyone who comes across a dead wild boar should avoid contact and notify their local hunting society, which will collect samples for testing by the National Center for Laboratory Research and Risk Assessment (LABRIS).
"Not every pig dies of ASF, but samples always need to be taken," Vinni said, adding that those samples provide scientists the information they need.
Click here to learn more about the spread of ASF in Estonia's domestic pig populations.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
