In Estonia, the government will purchase 10 drones equipped with thermal cameras to help hunters find wild boars near enclosures where the infection has broken out, writes ERR News.
Pig farmers, in turn, will receive support to resume operations.
The government has allocated funds to the Estonian Environmental Board to purchase ten drones. It is estimated that each device will cost 6,000-6,500 euros, and the total amount could reach 65,000 euros. Aimar Rakko, advisor on hunting at the Climate Ministry, said that these are not ordinary drones. The devices will be equipped with thermal cameras that will make it easier to find wild boars at dusk, at night or in places that are otherwise difficult to access. The Environmental Board has announced a procurement, and the cameras could reach hunters in late August or early September. The drones will be used primarily in areas where ASF outbreaks have been detected.
Initially, hunters will have to work with experienced drone pilots. “Environmental Board staff who already have drone skills can help here. Considering these are quite expensive devices, we can’t hand them over to complete beginners. The operator must have flown a drone before,” Rako said. He added that hunters can also work with people who are hobbyists with drones, and they might also be interested in trying something new.
Although this is not usually allowed in the summer, hunters will be allowed to use dogs
to chase wild boars out of, for example, a field of crops. Rako explained that it is not enough to find wild boars, they also need to be caught in open areas, and it is not wise to use humans for this, as this will end up with a trampled field and escaped pigs. The councillor said that usually, the use of hunting dogs is not allowed in the summer, because many animals have young, and dogs can disturb all the other animals. The involvement of dogs will be limited to specific fields.
The government has also allowed the early opening of unused pig farms. They are needed for piglets until the three-month quarantine period ends on farms where an outbreak of swine fever has been detected. Timo Vunder, a representative of the Estonian Pig Breeders’ Association, said: “If 20,000 pigs have already been culled, then we practically need space for the same number again. But there are two problems: first, the environmental permits for those facilities have been suspended or expired. Under normal circumstances, obtaining a permit can take years. Second, old farms lack the necessary equipment and that requires investment.”
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