Management of wild boar populations in the European Union before and during the ASF crisis

In recent decades, wild boar populations have been increasing worldwide due to several potential
causes, including human-induced and natural environmental changes and biological and
ecological factors. In Europe, this phenomenon has several economic, social and environmental
implications such as the increase of agricultural and forest damage, road traffic accidents and
potential ecological impact on animal and plant biodiversity. In addition, wild boar population
growth and expansion can contribute to the maintenance and dissemination of infectious
pathogens affecting animal and human health. In this context, the emergence of African swine
fever (ASF) in Europe has become a serious challenge for animal disease control. The high
susceptibility of wild boar to ASF infections and the capacity of the virus to remain infective in
wild boar carcasses require a combination of wildlife management and veterinary strategies in
order to eradicate this virus from EU forests. The goal of this chapter is to provide a thorough
overview of those efforts. After illustrating the current situation of wild boar populations in
Europe, the chapter describes the different methods applied by wildlife managers in the absence
of ASF. Subsequently, the chapter reviews different approaches and tools applied in the context
of ASF control, with a particular focus on the strategies implemented by countries that were
successful in their eradication, such as Belgium and the Czech Republic. The last section of the
chapter highlights areas that require future research to improve ASF management in natural wild
boar populations, which remains a serious challenge for the large majority of countries in the EU.