Government invests 5 million euros to eradicate swine fever in Barcelona

Authorities deploy 164 additional staff and drones to tackle the wild boar outbreak in the metropolitan area.

Generic image of a surveillance drone flying over a metropolitan forest area.
IA

Generic image of a surveillance drone flying over a metropolitan forest area.

The Catalan Government announced on Tuesday a 5 million euro investment to accelerate the eradication of African Swine Fever in Barcelona and its surrounding metropolitan area.

Ministers Núria Parlon and Òscar Ordeig presented the reinforced strategy at the Torreferrussa command center. The plan includes 15 specialized rural agents, 17 drone operators, and 132 forest defense volunteers to manage traps and search for infected carcasses across 18 municipalities.

"We won't fix this in four days; no country has taken less than a year to find the last infected carcass."

Òscar Ordeig · Minister of Agriculture
So far, the 113-day operation has resulted in 1,189 wild boars captured and 227 positive cases detected. Authorities have installed 16 physical barriers and 200 operational elements to contain the virus, while 149 police officers, including Mossos d'Esquadra, maintain daily security perimeters.