European Commission extends zone 3 of ASF control in Estonia

Photo: Kasper Mäe / Virumaa Teataja

The European Commission has extended zone two of control of the spread of African swine fever in Estonia to cover all of continental Estonia and zone three in the regions of the counties of West-Viru, Jogeva and Harju where cases of ASF have been notified of late.

By the decision amending the EU's Implementing Decision as regards the Baltic countries and Poland, the Commission extended zone three in select areas of Estonia and imposed zone two in all of continental Estonia, the Estonian Food and Veterinary Board said on Friday.

Citing finds of ASF in domestic pigs on more farms in July, the new decision places 13 more farms in the counties of West-Viru, Jogeva and Harju inside of zone three, or restricted zone, seven of which are small holdings with fewer than ten pigs. As a result of outbreaks of ASF in wild boars in new areas of Harju county and Rapla county, zone two has been extended to cover all of continental Estonia.

Olev Kalda, deputy director of the Estonian Food and Veterinary Board, said extending of zone two brings with it additional restrictions first and foremost for sellers of live pigs, whereas the expansion of zone three imposes restrictions on 13 pig producers when it comes to selling their output.

«The extension of zone two concerning wild boar effectively doesn't change a lot, as the export of the meat of wild swine was restricted also in the buffer zone that has been in effect in Western Estonia and Harju county so far,» Kalda said. «Yet extending the zone definitely has to be seen as an important sign of the need to go on with reducing the numbers of wild boar in the wild as well as removing potentially infectious material from the wild,» the official added.