Swine fever costs German state millions, 8,000 animals culled

The battle against African swine fever in southwestern Germany has incurred costs of approximately 35 million euros for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since the outbreak, 812 cases have been confirmed in wild boars, prompting the erection of 515 kilometers of fencing to contain the disease.

“

nearly wild boar-free protective corridors

Agriculture Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU) reported that the measures have successfully prevented a widespread outbreak among wild boars. The state is employing drones to monitor the wild boar population, currently estimated at 500 within the affected area, with an expected rise to 1,450 after the upcoming births. The minister emphasized that hunting remains a crucial tool, alongside fencing, with around 8,000 wild boars culled in the affected regions. The goal is to establish "nearly wild boar-free protective corridors," for which hunters in restricted zones receive a bounty, totaling 3.2 million euros allocated by the state government.

However, the opposition has leveled strong criticism against the minister's crisis management. SPD parliamentary group member Julia Kahle-Hausmann described the response to a major inquiry as "a record of indecisiveness and underestimated risk." She argued that the ministry should have pursued drone deployment much earlier, suggesting a delay in action allowed a small problem to escalate.

“

a record of indecisiveness and underestimated risk

African swine fever was first detected in North Rhine-Westphalia in June 2025. Authorities have since been working to curb its spread through containment zones, fencing, and targeted hunting. While the disease poses no threat to humans, it is almost always fatal for domestic and wild pigs, carrying significant economic consequences.

“

until a small fire became a wildfire