Source: Jennifer Shike, Farm Journal’s Pork, 7 January 2020, photo credit: The Washington Post
Invasive species councils in Montana and Washington are serious about preventing Canadian feral pigs from crossing into the western United States.
The Montana Invasive Species Council and Washington Invasive Species Council formed a large working group in early 2020 that consisted more than 40 federal, state and Canadian feral swine experts, reports the Daily Inter Lake.
Throughout 2020, the two councils discussed the challenges and opportunities to prevent the animals from crossing through interstate and international borders. In December, the group published a report with recommendations that address five strategic areas of feral swine management: coordination, monitoring, reporting and notification, response, and control and management.
As wild pig populations expand in the western provinces of Canada and in the U.S. and African swine fever (ASF) continues to rage throughout the world, it’s more important than ever to ramp up measures to keep wild pig populations down.
One study from the University of Saskatchewan says these feral pigs have, on average, increased in their area by 5,400 square miles per year over the past decade. In total, experts estimate more than six million feral hogs exist in North America, the article said.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
