KOTA KINABALU – The ban on wild boar hunting remains in place in Sabah until authorities are truly certain the African swine fever (ASF) has been contained, said state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said the ban has seen the number of infections decline after it was implemented in February 2021.
“Although the ASF has subsided, it is not fully appropriate to open up (for hunting), so we need to confirm, there is nothing at all and nothing coming in and out from Sabah, only then will we allow hunting.
“So in the meantime, be patient,” he told reporters after officiating the Anzac Day memorial service here today.
Hunting requests have been sent to the state after the population of wild boars there has shown improvement from the ASF outbreak, barely nine months after the ban was imposed in early 2021.
Hundreds of domestic swine were also culled after some were found to have been infected with the virus.
Wild boar hunting is crucial to some food operators due to the popularity of smoked wild boar meat or locally known as the Sinalau Bakas. – The Vibes, April 24, 2023
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