Feral Pigs: An Environmental Problem Out of Control?
I’ve blogged about this topic before, but a recent article in the Chesapeake Bay Journal warns of the coming damage to the environment and our agricultural industry if something is not done about feral pigs now. The problem is that nobody seems to be listening. It is time for state and federal wildlife agencies to take serious measures to control or elimate these destructive exotics. Hunters, in particular, could be the heros in this saga should they be allowed to hunt this species to extinction. Every effort should, be made to shut down commercial hunting operations that import wild boar to prevent the possibility of future introductions. And hunting should not be managed for long-term sustainability, but for major control or, if possible, complete elimination.
Feral pigs, Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management and Conservation, hunting, invasive species
if you get a chance to see “Pig Bomb” on Discovery channel (i think) it is worth a look – wow, the sheer numbers and destruction is incredible. Some places need great effort to get things under control it seems like nothing on the ground would be safe.
Shawn: I agree. This is a serious environmental problem; I’ve seen the damage they can do to marshlands in Australia–the devastation was incredible. It looked like a threashing machine had been driven through the wetlands. The pigs’ rooting, trampling and foraging activities created an ecological wasteland. It is clearly time for state and federal agencies to get very serious about feral pig control. Also time for hunting goals to be geared toward elimination not sustainability. Farmers should be up in arms over this, due to the potential for disease transmission to both humans and livestock.