Hesse’s Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Ingmar Jung, visited the fence construction site on the B 45 near Oberzent together with Peter Hauk MdL, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection. A solid fence is currently being built there to contain African swine fever (ASF), which runs from Dieburg in Hesse to the Neckar in Baden-Württemberg. Directly on the state border, in the Odenwald, the two ministers inspected the progress of the work and exchanged views with the emergency services. “The close cooperation between the two countries is extremely important in combating ASF,” emphasised Ingmar Jung, and thanked the various actors on site: “I am impressed by how quickly and extremely effectively the work is being carried out here. The high level of commitment shown by the volunteers of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief cannot be taken for granted, and we are very grateful for the short-term support.” On the Hessian side, in addition to the THW, emergency services from the two state authorities Hessen-Forst and Hessen-Mobil are involved in the measures, and the so-called remote barrier will be completed in two weeks.
“Fernriegel” is an important module in the overall strategy against ASF
By erecting solid fences at a greater distance (see map appendix) from the acute epidemic, Hesse is protecting other federal states and other parts of Hesse and is taking precautionary measures that go far beyond the measures required by the EU. “This puts us well ahead of the epidemic, because this remote barrier is intended to prevent ASF from spreading across regions. We are protecting Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, because containing swine fever is a supra-regional feat of strength,” said Jung, who is once again pushing for financial support from the federal government to overcome this feat. “African swine fever knows no national borders, so it is right that we tackle the containment of ASF together and across national borders. Everyone benefits from the protective measures, not just the countries directly affected, but also Germany as a whole. It is therefore time for us to talk about how the federal government will contribute to the costs of cross-border ASF protection measures so that we can continue to keep the epidemic under control, said Peter Hauk MdL, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Agriculture and spokesman for the CDU Agriculture Ministers in Germany.
In addition to the remote barrier, a solid fence (see map) will also be built around the core zone of the disease. The aim is to interrupt the spread of infection there by targeted removal of wild boar. Tactical electric fences will also continue to be used. “Our strategy has proven successful so far. Without our diverse measures, ASF would probably have spread further,” said Jung. There have been no new cases in domestic pig populations for four weeks. Wild boar carcasses that tested positive were found in the expected regions.
The situation remains serious, warned Jung, and also appealed to the population: “Please continue to support the measures to combat ASF. Only together can we prevent the animal disease from spreading further. We expect a lot from the residents, but urgently ask for their cooperation. Close the fence gates on the paths, help prevent vandalism and damage to property.
Background to the “remote lock”:
Since the first wild boar with ASF was found in Hesse in mid-June, work has been carried out with so-called tactical fences to prevent the spread. In addition to the existing fences within the exclusion zones, 60 kilometers of solid fence are now being built in the east as part of the danger prevention measures.. This “remote barrier” is a special wire mesh fence that is particularly safe from wild boars. It also uses tried and tested material from Brandenburg, which has been used successfully there and was no longer needed due to new zoning. In addition to the THW, the responsible road maintenance departments of Hessen-Mobil and several forestry offices of Hessen-Forst are also involved. The fence runs along the eastern side of the B 45 from Groß-Umstadt to the Neckar. Around 10 km of the fence will be erected in Baden-Württemberg up to the Neckar at the same time using material from Brandenburg provided by Hesse. In Hesse, the fence covers around 50 km, of which 10 km are in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district and 40 km in the Odenwald district. The construction time for the fence is planned to be three weeks. During the construction work, there will be temporary traffic disruptions on the B45, as one lane will be blocked in several places. In addition, crossings and underpasses may be partially closed to walkers.
