It is National Invasive Species Action Week.

Wild pigs are considered an invasive species in Canada. They cause ecological damage, wildlife habitat destruction, crop damage and human safety concerns.

They also spread and can be a reservoir for diseases that pose a risk to wildlife and livestock, such as African swine fever (ASF), which has been spreading throughout countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. While African Swine Fever currently isn’t present in Canada, if it was detected, it would have a massive impact on the trade of Canadian pork products and the economy.

We’ve been bringing together federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) governments and industry representatives in an unprecedented collaboration to provide guidance and prioritize activities to address the risk of ASF introduction and establishment in Canada.

We’ve been working with our partners on wild pig sampling and surveillance, best management practices and wild pig communications to advance the management and control of pigs at-large in Canada.

Reporting is an essential part to understanding the distribution of invasive wild pigs in Canada and mitigating their impacts.

If you see invasive wild pigs, please report them to Squeal on Pigs and/or your provincial contacts.