The NFU-O agrees that feral…

The NFU-O agrees that feral populations of wild pigs are problematic and early intervention is key. Therefore, we agree with and support:
- the creation of new rules and regulations preventing the introduction of pigs into the natural environment (Objective 1)
- adding pigs as a restricted invasive species under the Invasive Species Act, 2015, prohibiting under the Act to release a pig in Ontario, to bring live pigs into provincial parks and conservation reserves, and to prescribe Ontario as a control zone for pigs, requiring the Ministry to be notified immediately and the escaped pig recaptured or dispatched as soon as possible.
- using a coordinated approach to remove wild pigs from the natural environment (Objective 3)
- prohibiting hunting of wild pigs with the exceptions for activities to protect property from damage caused by wild pigs, under the Act.

The NFU-O is very concerned about and disagrees with Objective 2, Action 2.1 of the strategy, and the inclusion of ‘over a two-year period, phase-out the import, possession, transport, propagation, buying, selling, leasing, or trading of live Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids’ under the Act, and the impacts this will cause to current producers, processors, and consumers of wild boar in Ontario.
The NFU-O is recommending:
- that current producers and processors of wild boar be consulted in this process before a decision is made to prohibit the raising of wild boar for meat in Ontario. There is an established niche market for wild boar meat in Ontario that will be forced to turn to imported products if production of wild boar ceases in the province.
- that the Ministry work together with the handful of family farms in the province that are responsibly raising wild boar, to share and develop best management practices, including fencing and containment, space, and feeding requirements for raising wild boar.
- the development and implementation of recovery protocol for escaped wild boar, similar to what has been developed by OMAFRA and MNRF for farmed wild deer and elk.

We would also like to emphasis the importance of growing the diversity of outdoor, farmed pigs by small and medium sized family farms in Ontario and would not want any new regulations to discourage the growth of this sector by placing increased restrictions or costs related to containment on these farmers. We recommend:
- working with small and medium sized family farmers to determine best management practices for outdoor, farmed pigs, to ensure they remain farmed outdoors
- providing a financial compensation strategy for any new fencing infrastructure requirements that may be enforced through new regulations

The NFU-O would also support increased regulations around the housing and care of domestic pigs kept for pets in Ontario municipalities, along with tracing and release regulations to discourage the release of domestic pigs kept as pets in Ontario.