The EU makes it official: «85% of Sardinia free from swine fever. Virus definitively defeated among wild boars"
In 330 municipalities on the island it will no longer be necessary to resort to exemptions for the movement of animals and meat or for hunting. The Region: «Historical milestone after a long battle»
«The European Commission has officially recognized the eradication of African swine fever from wild boar throughout the entire Sardinian territory».
The Region announced this in a note, which explains that "the proposal was voted unanimously by the representatives of the Member States of the European Union last Friday and the decision will be officially published in the next few hours".
«A verdict - underlines Villa Devoto - which significantly redefines the geography of the requirements still in force on the island, until now characterized by three zones, in addition to a "free" zone from restrictions already extended in May to 62% of the Municipalities of Sardinia. Brussels' decision - it is underlined - cancels "zone 2" (wildlife) and restricts "zone 1" (the so-called buffer zone, now reduced to 35 Municipalities) to the perimeter around "zone 3" (area in regularization phase in terms of unregistered pigs) , which remains unchanged for twelve municipalities in central-eastern Sardinia and to which is added a restriction zone, in force until 22 December, on the territories affected by the recent outbreak of import of genotype 2 in a farm in Dorgali, promptly managed by the project unit".
The completely free areas in which it will no longer be necessary to resort to exemptions for the movement of animals, meat or hunting will thus extend to over 85% of the territory, for a total of 330 Municipalities.
«The recognition at community level of the eradication of wild swine fever genotype 1, which has been circulating in Sardinia for over forty years, represents a historic achievement crowning the great work carried out on the island on this front», the comment of the governor Christian Solinas, who today presented the European Commission's decision together with the Health Councilor, Carlo Doria, and the head of the project unit for the eradication of swine fever, Giovanni Filippini.
«A result – adds Solinas – which takes on even more relevance at a time when, everywhere, at a national and European level, swine fever continues to represent a plague. Sardinia has shown that the battle against the virus is a battle that can be won and we are proud that this message of hope to the world comes from our territory."
Solinas adds: «A fight, the one undertaken on the island against African swine fever, which will reach a turning point in 2021, following the audit of the European Commission from which the observations will start which will lead Sardinia to strengthen surveillance health, to the extension of the animal census, up to the implementation of the most modern information and data sharing tools between the Region, the Ministry of Health and Brussels. Actions made possible also thanks to a synergistic collaboration of various forces in the field, from the Ministry of Health, to the zooprophylactic institute and the veterinary services of the local health authorities, passing through the Forestas Agency, the Forestry and Environmental Surveillance Corps, the trade associations of breeders, hunting and dog associations and local administrations throughout the territory".
«The management of the disease on the island - explains councilor Doria - has significantly improved, both in epidemiological terms, with the notification of a continuously decreasing number of disease outbreaks, and in terms of resolution of many organizational critical issues that had hindered or slowed down the eradication of the disease. In the last three years, notable steps forward have been made which have allowed Sardinia to formally obtain recognition of its eradication process. A path that last December led to the end of a long embargo and which in May saw a further increase in the number of territories in the free zone. Today's result is the result of a commitment that has never stopped and which will continue until the latest restrictions are completely removed and even beyond, to guarantee the safety of a sector, the pig sector, which can express great potential in Sardinia. To this end - concludes Doria - to guarantee the strengthening of veterinary services in response to the actions envisaged in the PSA genotype 2 risk mitigation plan , we have foreseen an allocation in the next budget change of 2,437,000 euros for 2023 and 2024 and 1,950.00 for 2025" .
(Unioneonline/lf)
