1. Causes and impact of and measures against excessive wild boar populations in Germany
Peter Lohner
Head of the Division National Forest Policy, Hunting
in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

2. The hunting system in Germany
Since the middle of the 19th century, the right to hunt has rested with the land owners. The main pillars of the hunting right in Germany are
Game Management duty Hunting estate system
Avoid game damage engage in hunting only in
Sustainable game cropping hunting areas
Provide for basic resources for life
Protect the wild animals
Game management duty: Avoid game damage
Sound, sustainable use of game (biological rest period, culling plan)
Provide for basic resources for life of game (biotope management)
Protect the game (game diseases, poaching)

3. The hunting system in Germany
Private hunting district (min. 75 ha)
Land owner is the holder of hunting rights
Shared hunting districts (min. 150 ha)
Hunting cooperative is the holder of hunting rights
The hunting estate system establishes the local and personal responsibility of holders of hunting rights for their district.
More than 80 % of the hunting area is privately owned

4. Stock development wild boar
European-wide increase of the wild boar bags
Reduction of bags in Germany, Austria, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia in 2011 suggests a natural cause.

5. Stock development wild boar Wild boar bag in Germany

6. The reasons for excessive wild boar populations are known
High ability of wild boar to adapt and to reproduce
Cover and range of foods throughout the year
Mild winters
Hunting is more difficult ( big plots, high populations)
Implementation deficits in hunting

7. Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc
Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc. offer cover and grazing
(1000 ha)
(pi.)

8. Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc
Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc. offer cover and grazing

9. Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc
Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Maize, wheat, rapeseed etc. offer cover and grazing
From the mid-1980s: Production of double-zero rapeseed (less bitter substances)

10. Reasons for excessive wild boar populations Implementation deficits in hunting
Insufficient hunting on arable land and woodland
Online quotations from hunters: „ …But we often leave boar piglets alone and wait for them to run to fat (well, you get more for the kilo“)
„I guess I would not bother about a boar piglet of 10kg and cart it maybe 20km to a collection centre“
Restrictive hunting permits (Restrictions regarding sex, age and weight)
Violations of feeding and bait site provisions, bait sites without adequate hunting
Lack of communication and cooperation between the parties involved (farmers, neighbours of districts)
North Rhine-Westphalia: The authorisation* to take trichinae samples and the labelling by expert
hunters is limited to the validity of the respective yearly hunting licence and a fee of € is levied. Costs for the trichinosis test €

11. Cause of death Wild boar
The consequences of excessive wild boar populations
Cause of death Wild boar
Tragedy on the A 5: Three people killed in an accident with a wild boar. Bavaria: Killed in an accident after collision with wild boar
Motor cyclist dies after accident with wild boar

12. The consequences of high wild boar populations
The consequences of high wild boar populations Reservoir of virus wild boar
African swine fever (ASF)
In the EU-states Poland,
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia,
the African swine fever continues to be
identified in domestic pigs and wild boars by sample collection since the first outbreak in February 2014.
An Incursion into other EU countries
cannot be ruled out.
The map depicts the places where African swine fever was detected in holdings with domestic pigs (red dots) or in wild boars (blue dots) in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia.
The restricted areas resulting from the affected domestic pig herd in Lithuania are displayed hatched (Commission Implementing Decision 2014/502/EU).
The restricted areas depicted in colour relate to the occurrence of the African swine fever in domestic pigs and are in line with the annexes to the Commission Implementing Decision 2014/178/EU (as amended). Hence, the areas are to be "differentiated by the level of risk considering the epidemiological situation of African swine fever and whether it concerns both pigs holdings and the feral pig population (Part III), only the feral pig population (Part II) or the risk is due to certain proximity to the infection in the feral population (Part I)".

13. The consequences of excessive wild boar populations
Reservoir of virus wild boar
The BMEL launched the initiative ASF-awareness-raising campaign.
Via the specialist press, hunting pig keepers and people on hunting trips are urged to strictly comply with sanitary measures.
The hunters are called upon to continuously participate in monitoring schemes and to take and send in samples of, among others, bagged wild boar, game killed in an accident, by disease, hunger or cold specifying the place of bagging/discovery.
Information on ASF is continuously updated and published (BMEL, FLI).

14. The consequences of high wild boar populations Perpetrator (of damage) wild boar
Wild boar is to be found almost everywhere: on arable land, in the forests and more and more in residential areas
Example wild boar bag Berlin
2013/14 :
game killed by accident etc. = 1245 head
2014/15 :
game killed by accident etc. = 1780 head
Despite the record number of bags, farmers complain about an increase of game damage due to the lack of implementation of regulatory and reduction measures.
Affected hunting estates are hard to lease out, a fact that further aggravates the situation.

15. The consequences of excessive wild boar populations Game damages
Damages to agricultural crops and real estate belonging to a shared hunting territory caused by certain game species, among others wild boar, are made up for in Germany.
As a rule, the hunting cooperative is liable for compensation. On the basis of the hunting lease, it may transfer the liability for compensation to the tenant of a shoot.
Specialty crops (area under vines, orchards) are not subject to the liability for compensation provided ordinary protective devices were not established.
Reliable figures on game damage are not available, mainly because the parties often come to an agreement without regulatory procedure.

16. The consequences of excessive wild boar populations Game damage - Regulatory procedure No amicable settlement: Claim procedure for game damage
Notice of a claim to be submitted to the municipality one week after having become aware of the damage
On-site visit involving all those concerned
In case of agreement reached: Minutes of the agreement
In case no agreement is reached: Valuer of game damage, valuer's report
Issuance of prior notification (final and absolute)
In case prior notification is not recognised: Filing of action and end of procedure
In case there is no amicable settlement between hunter and aggrieved party

17. Hunting measures to reduce wild boar populations
Options of official bodies
Extending of hunting seasons
Regulating/monitoring feeding and bait site
Voluntary measures
Joint hunting recommendations/local hunting organisations
Suited hunting strategies (across hunting districts)
Training of shooting skills
Reduction/abolition of hunting contributions
Making use of support policy
Greening as a means to establish
hunting lanes

18. Measures to reduce wild boar populations
Hunting lanes to reduce game damage
Pilot projects and real life indicate that
hunting lanes are
suitable to reduce wild boar populations
and game damage.
Under the provisions on
crop diversification, a strip
of summer barley designed as a hunting lane
in an area under maize has to be designated
in terms of location and size and to be allocated
to summer barley from 2015.
As a consequence, fallow arable land must be designated.

19. Measures to reduce wild boar populations
Hunting lanes to reduce game damage
Positive aspect: These specifically designated lanes are likely to make it easier for farmers in intensive maize producing areas to comply with the provisions on crop diversification because these lanes contribute to the cultivation of other crops.
Of interest to many farmers: Designation of hunting lanes also as ecological focus areas. The additional effort involved in designating the areas will definitely be overcompensated by fulfilling the greening obligations.

20. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your attention!