Hunters role in wildlife disease surveillance: A perspective from

FACETom Van de Maele

What role?

• Hunters are the eyes and ears of the countryside

• Understanding of wildlife management and local population structures

• Often the first to find evidence of animal health issues in the wild:• Avian flu• Rabbits• ASF in Wild boar

• Research: Easily provide samples of carcasses

• Assist in managing diseases.

• Biosecurity awareness: Essential for containing ASF.

FACE work on ASF

• Technical knowledge base• Management

• Biosecurity

• Monitoring

• Communication • With members

• Public

• Best practices

• Engagement in policy discussions

What’s needed now for ASF?

• EFSA rec. 2017: “Drastic depopulation, targeted hunting of female wild boar and carcass removal implemented as only measure to control ASF in the WB population need to be implemented in a highly effective manner (at or beyond the limit of reported effectivity in wild boar management) to sustainably halt the spread of ASF” (New EFSA report: Epidemiological analyses of African swine fever in the Baltic States and Poland (Update September 2016–September 2017)

• ….4 years after first case of ASF in EU.

• The suggested tools can appear to be empty sentences about increasing of biosecurity, reducing numbers of wild boar, etc…

• But we need clarity on the direct action what the managers/hunters should do:• For example: how to find carcasses? • Which method use for reducing WB population? • Some “emergency plan“ for first case in the region? (CZ example?)

FACE Recommendations

• Improving our knowledge base - new science, surveys, policy developments

• Development of Wild Boar management "recommendations" document:• Types of management methods, at what times, etc.

• Communication:• Lack of awareness (we and some of our members raise this systematically)

• Development of article(s) for European hunting magazines / with ugly pictures

• Examples of leaflets/info on best practice

Avian Flu: Role on wild birds is spreading the disease is poorly understoodINDIRECT – as a result of spread of H5N1 being blamed on wild

birds despite lack of evidence.

• The specific role of wild birds particularly in the long-distance transmission of the virus remains unclear!

• Measures taken against wild birds and their habitats in misguided attempts at controlling the virus

• Affects on public perception

Negative Consequences of misperception of risk

• We don’t want:• Misguided culling & disturbance

• Habitat destruction

• Nests destroyed

• Research suspended/stopped

• Fewer ringing recoveries

• Reduced garden bird feeding

• Release of game birds

• Drain on resources of conservation organisations

• Hunting restrictions

Correct information is needed.

Thank you

Tom.Vandemaele@face.eu