Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2018

Total budget:

€50,000.00

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

€25,000.00

The wild boar is a key species for the maintenance of the essential ecological processes of Iberian forest ecosystems.
Its socioeconomic importance derives from its impacts on the environment, agriculture and public health, among others.
The African swine fever (ASF) epidemic requires a drastic change in its management, mainly as a result of prevention measures.
This project acts to know the density, extraction pressure and effectiveness of extraction in different Iberian environments, train hunters in health surveillance (early detection) and actions in ASF emergencies, and establish mechanisms to eventually modulate extraction pressure for conservation purposes.

The main objective of the project is the preparation of the hunting and conservation sectors in the face of changes in management and in the abundance of jabalí, derived from the measures to prevent African swine fever (ASF), or its eventual emergence in Spain or neighbouring countries.

It has the following specific goals:

• To know the population density, extraction pressure per unit of effort and area, in a gradient of geographical and management situations of wild boar in Spain, including areas of the Natura 2000 Network and Protected Natural Areas without hunting activity.
• Train the hunting and conservation sector in the epidemiology and health surveillance of ASF, with special attention to early detection, actions in ASF emergencies (hunting activity, management of killed game, waste management and other biosecurity aspects), and implications for conservation.
• Integrate knowledge on density, extraction and efficacy with the collaborations established with hunters’ associations to design practical measures to modulate the extraction pressure for conservation purposes, as well as to minimise the conflicts between health, hunting and conservation that may arise from the emergence of ASF.

• Estimation of relative abundances and absolute density of wild boar using two complementary methods: the analysis of hunting or extraction results and photo-trapping meshes.
• Analysis of extraction pressure through the method of live capture versus hunting, single hunting versus hunting with or without dogs.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of extraction according to the estimated population and its population trend.
• Placement, review and removal of cameras by locality for the photo trapping meshes, and data processing and analysis of the information.
• Studies of the documentation on hunting results and activities available in the hunting services of the provinces under study, as well as personal surveys with the managers of the areas studied.
• Holding a training course on ASF epidemiology and health surveillance , with special attention to early detection, actions in ASF emergencies and implications for conservation in Asturias, Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.
• Development of practical measures to modulate extraction pressure for conservation purposes, as well as to minimise conflicts between health, hunting and conservation that may arise from the emergence of ASF.
• Dissemination of the document with guidelines aimed at promoting good practices in wild boar management, both for the hunting and conservation sectors, as well as administrations and the general public.

• A nationwide study has been carried out on wild boar populations and the factors affecting the effectiveness of hunting to control their growth.
• With the results, a manual of good practices in relation to wild boar hunting and the prevention of health risks has been prepared in collaboration with competent authorities, the hunting sector and conservation experts.
• Courses and conferences on epidemiology and health surveillance of ASF and wild boar have been organized for the hunting sector, conservationists and Administration personnel (forestry agents and technicians).