The Saskatchewan government is taking measures to stop the spread of swine flu, cracking down on the number of invasive feral pigs on the prairies.
The province has now put a moratorium on new feral pig farms, meaning no new feral pig farms are able to operate. Farms had until January 1 to apply for a license at no charge.
Existing wild boar farms are also banned. Farmers need to add more surveillance, follow through with annual inspections, keep records up-to-date and ensure their property is properly fenced.
Ryan Brooke, a wildlife researcher at the University of Saskatchewan and director of the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project, said the bans are a good initiative, but they come too late.
Pigs on the run for 40 years
“I think it would be incredibly naive to think it's going to help in any way,” Brooke said. “We're 45 years late. It started in 1980 and we needed legislation then.”
According to him, wild boars have been running away from farms for 40 years.
Until last year, there were about 15 wild boar farms in the province.
“It's like mosquito eradication at this point,” Brooke said.
Although pigs are known for their popularity among hunters, aggressive animals can cause a significant amount of damage. Not only are the creatures fast-moving and carry diseases, feral pigs are notorious for destroying farmers' crops.
In the past, wild boars were deliberately crossbred with pink domestic pigs to create larger and longer animals with increased reproductive rates. Wild boars can weigh up to 300 pounds and have a barrel-like body with dark hair.
Pink domestic pigs that have escaped into the wild can also mate freely with wild boars.
“Saskatchewan could easily host millions of feral pigs and we could – and certainly will at some point – have more feral pigs than people in Saskatchewan,” Brook said.
Boars were introduced to the prairies in the 1980s for their meat. As the boar market died down, some escaped and others were released into the wild.
Farmers question whether regulations are necessary
Wild boars roam the woods on Kelly Reedman's farm near North Battleford.
“The epidemic they're spreading is absolutely wrong,” Reedman said.
Reidman believes that new regulations are not necessary. He said his farm is already properly fenced, licensed and regularly inspected.
“You can poll the entire province and ask how many people have seen a boar or shot a boar,” Reedman said. “You'll get a pretty solid answer that nobody sees anything, very, very little.”
According to Brooke, feral pig sightings are limited in the province. He said this is because the creatures are nocturnal and can hide.
Despite limited sightings, most feral swine disease has been reported in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an estimated 6 million hogs have been released south of the border.
In 2015, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) launched a feral boar control program. If anyone sees a wild boar roaming outside the closed area, they should report the sighting to SCIC.
“This program provides landowners and municipalities with a way to remove feral boars, which threaten the environment, farm operations and other livestock,” the provincial government said in a statement to the CBC.
Producers are required to report any pigs that escape from captivity to their local game farm inspector.
