Saskatchewan puts moratorium on wild boar farms, toughens regulations

By: The Canadian Press Posted:

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REGINA - The Saskatchewan government has put a moratorium on new wild boar farms, after decades of expanding feral swine populations.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/07/2024 (816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA – The Saskatchewan government has put a moratorium on new wild boar farms, after decades of expanding feral swine populations.

The province also says existing farms will require licensing and regular inspection.

Toby Tschetter, the chair of Sask Pork, says the regulations will help the industry respond to animal escapes and potential disease outbreaks.

The Saskatchewan government has put a moratorium on new wild boar farms after decades of expanding feral swine populations. A wild boar runs in a forest in the Taunus region near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Nov. 9, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Michael Probst
The Saskatchewan government has put a moratorium on new wild boar farms after decades of expanding feral swine populations. A wild boar runs in a forest in the Taunus region near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Nov. 9, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Michael Probst

Research from the University of Saskatchewan says wild pigs — a mix of wild boar and domestic swine — became a problem in the 1990s, when many escaped livestock farms and adapted to the Prairies.

The research says the animals have grown their territory at a rate of nine per cent per year in Canada, threatening native species, such as nesting birds, deer, agricultural crops and farm livestock.

It says the pigs have also adapted to frigid temperatures and can breed in any season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024.

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