Hunters Must Strictly Follow Official Directives in South-East Finland Swine Fever Zone

According to the directives, hunting is strictly prohibited within the infection zone. This zone comprises the entirety of the Virolahti and Miehikkälä municipalities, alongside the area south of the railway line leading to Vainikkala station within the city of Lappeenranta.

 

In addition to the prohibition on hunting, exercising dogs within the infection zone is restricted to public roads only, provided the animals remain on a lead. Furthermore, no canine events, including hound trials, dog shows, or similar gatherings, may be organised within the designated zone.

 

The hunting of wild boar and all other wildlife species is strictly prohibited throughout the infection zone. This ban does not apply to wild boar management activities explicitly organised by the Finnish Food Authority. Hunters are required to submit monitoring samples from any wild boar culled within the region for immediate African swine fever analysis.

Vilt feeding is prohibited within the infection zone. Consequently, supplemental feeding of wild boar is banned unless conducted under the auspices of the Finnish Food Authority. Feeding other wildlife species is also prohibited as a general rule.

 

Within the core area located inside the infection zone, foraging for mushrooms and berries is strictly forbidden. Recreational movement in the terrain, such as cycling, running, and hiking, is likewise prohibited unless conducted exclusively along established roads.

 

The formal decision issued by the Finnish Food Authority can be accessed here (in Finnish).

 

The authorities are currently collaborating with hunters to organise wild boar carcass searches and official population control culls within the infection zone. The structure of these operations is currently being finalised, and specific directives will be issued separately.

 

These management measures have been rehearsed over a number of years, ensuring that hunters possess excellent readiness to execute the tasks. Task forces addressing the ASF situation have highlighted the necessity of financial compensation for this work, citing precedents established during outbreaks in Estonia and Sweden. The Finnish Hunters’ Association expects and demands formal decisions regarding remuneration. To date, the relevant authorities have not announced the scale or structure of the compensation to be paid to participating hunters.

 

The detection of swine fever in South-East Finland illustrates the immediate consequences of an ASF outbreak within a region. All terrain-based activities are halted, directly impacting forestry, outdoor recreation, and hunting. Restrictions are imposed within the infected area to prevent wild boar from fleeing and propagating the virus further. For the agricultural sector, and specifically for pork production, African swine fever inflicts losses amounting to tens of millions of euros.

 

Hunters and hunting associations outside the designated infection zone across Finland must ensure that local wild boar populations are kept as low as possible. Beyond the boundaries of the infection zone, no changes have been made to wild boar hunting regulations, and the Hunters' Central Organisation strongly encourages the intensification of culling efforts.

 

In Finland, wild boar populations are densest in South-East Finland and Eastern Uusimaa. Significant pockets of the population are also located elsewhere across Western and Southern Finland.