Belgium: Hobby Hunters Are a Pest to Nature
In Belgium, hobby hunters are being described as a pest to nature. A study documents the negative impact of recreational hunting on biodiversity.
The district court of the Belgian province of Luxembourg last week arrested at least 4 hobby hunters and a game warden from the ASF risk zone in the municipality of Etalle. They are suspected of having imported wild boar from Eastern European countries — including Poland — to replenish private hunting grounds with game. Two hobby hunters were subsequently released.
Hobby Hunters Bring Swine Fever to Belgium
In collaboration with the national reference laboratory in Brussels-Uccle, evidence appears to have been established that illegal imports of wild boar from Eastern Europe introduced ASF into Belgium.
Wild boar carcasses found to be infected with ASF are reported to have lain in the local private forest for months. This was reported by Belgian TV broadcaster RTBF.
Law enforcement authorities are investigating the suspicion that Belgian hobby hunters carried out unauthorised imports of wild boar, which may have provided the basis for the spread of African Swine Fever in the area.
According to regional Belgian media, the suspected hobby hunters may have acted as intermediaries between “wild boar suppliers” from Eastern countries and hunting organisers. The imported animals may have been infected and could have brought the virus into the country. Crime surrounding recreational hunting is a recurring theme.
The game warden was one of the first to be questioned when the swine fever hit the region with full force. He admitted to the examining magistrate that he had already found an unusual number of wild boar carcasses in the Buzenol area in June 2018 without taking any action. This is likely the main charge for which an arrest warrant was issued against him.
«If he had reacted sooner, we could have become aware of the danger of swine fever much more quickly and acted accordingly», reports a well-informed source. «He knew it, but he said nothing.»
This morning, two individuals who had been placed under arrest warrants appeared in court. The hunting warden remains in custody for at least one month and is to be questioned further on Friday.
Three quarters of Belgians oppose hobby hunting
Three quarters of Belgians (in the Walloon Region) are opposed to hobby hunting. This is the result of a survey conducted by the Royal Belgian Bird Protection League LRBPO, the findings of which were published in the newspapers «L'Avenir» and «La Dernière Heure». 68 percent of respondents do not feel safe when spending time in the countryside during hunting season.
«It is a hobby that no longer has any right to exist. Just like overfishing, intensive agriculture, etc., which contribute to the decline of our biodiversity», says Jean-Claude Beaumont, Director of the LRBPO.
The survey was conducted between 17 December and 3 January among 1’000 people. The margin of error is 3.1%. Why hobby hunting represents a animal welfare problem is explained in the dossier of the same name.
