Finland is preparing to build an 83-kilometre electric fence in the southeast of the country to limit the spread of African swine fever among wild boar. Construction is scheduled to begin in December and is expected to take approximately three months.
The Finnish Food Authority is overseeing the project, which aims to control the movement of wild boar within and around the main infection zone. The temporary fence will follow the boundaries of the affected area across the municipalities of Miehikkälä, Virolahti and Lappeenranta.
The planned structure will stand 120 centimetres high and operate throughout the year. Its main purpose is to prevent infected wild boar from moving beyond the affected zone while reducing the risk of healthy animals entering the area and becoming infected.
According to the Finnish Food Authority, similar fencing measures have been used successfully in other countries to restrict the movement of wild boar and help manage African swine fever outbreaks.
Although the fence will cover a considerable distance, it is not intended to prevent people from moving freely through the affected areas. Where the structure crosses roads, gates or openings will be provided to allow vehicles and pedestrians to pass.
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The decision to construct the fence follows the detection of African swine fever in wild boar in Finland. The Food Authority previously estimated that the first infected animals probably arrived in the country around the end of May or the beginning of June.
African swine fever is a highly serious viral disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. It can spread among animals and cause severe losses in affected populations and pig farming operations. However, the virus does not infect humans and is not considered a human health risk.
Controlling the movement of wild boar is an important part of limiting the spread of the disease, particularly in areas where infected and uninfected animals may come into contact. The planned fence is intended to reduce that movement while allowing normal human access to roads and surrounding communities.
