Republic of Latvia

Cabinet
Regulation No. 226
Adopted 17 April 2018

Regulations Regarding a Set of Biosecurity Measures During Hunting

Issued pursuant to
Section 25, Clause 19 of the Veterinary Medicine Law

I. General Provisions

1. The Regulation prescribes:

1.1. general biosecurity requirements during wild boar hunting and operations with hunted wild boars (Sus scrofa);

1.2. additional biosecurity requirements for operations with wild boars (Sus scrofa) that have been hunted in the areas restricted due to an infectious animal disease.

2. Fulfilment of the requirements laid down in this Regulation shall be supervised and controlled by the Food and Veterinary Service in cooperation with the State Forest Service.

II. General Biosecurity Requirements

3. After hunting, soil and dirt shall be removed from footwear and soles thereof and the footwear used during hunting shall be washed and disinfected with disinfectants corresponding to the laws and regulations regarding requirements in relation to activities with biocidal products.

4. It is prohibited to wear clothing and footwear used during hunting:

4.1. in places where animals kept for farming purposes are kept;

4.2. when preparing feed for animals kept for farming purposes;

4.3. during other activities when the agent of the infectious disease could directly or indirectly be transmitted from forest animals to animals kept for farming purposes.

5. After transporting game to the game-handling sites referred to in Paragraph 6 of this Regulation, equipment and vehicle surfaces that have been in direct contact with game shall be cleaned, washed, and disinfected with disinfectants corresponding to the laws and regulations regarding requirements in relation to activities with biocidal products.

6. The game shall be skinned and the carcase thereof shall be cut (hereinafter - the handling of the game):

6.1. in a game-handling establishment in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin;

6.2. at a game-handling site in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding requirements for the handling of wild game and their meat and the supply thereof to a final consumer in small quantities;

6.3. at a game-handling site (a room or place in a room or a structure where the organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities are removed from the game and where the game is handled and stored) where the handled game is used by the hunter for private domestic use, handed over to family members and persons with whom the hunter shares the household, and also to other persons within the household.

7. The following shall be ensured at the game-handling site referred to in Sub-paragraph 6.3 of this Regulation during the removal of the organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities and the handling of the game:

7.1. there is water and disinfectants;

7.2. it is inaccessible to unauthorised persons and also to wild, farm, and domestic animals.

8. After removal of the organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities and handling of the game, the equipment, reusable protective clothing, and game-handling site shall be cleaned and washed. If necessary, the equipment, reusable protective clothing, and game-handling site shall be disinfected with disinfectants conforming to the laws and regulations regarding requirements in relation to activities with biocidal products.

9. Animal by-products (hereinafter - the by-products) referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation) (hereinafter - Regulation No 1069/2009) shall be collected, processed, or disposed of in accordance with the requirements laid down in Regulation No 1069/2009. The intended equipment corresponding to the following requirements shall be used for the storage of by-products:

9.1. it is watertight;

9.2. it is appropriate to the quantity of by-products obtained;

9.3. it is inaccessible to unauthorised persons and also to wild, farm, and domestic animals.

10. It is prohibited to feed by-products to the animals kept for farming purposes.

11. Removal of the organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities and handling of the game outside the game-handling sites referred to in Paragraph 6 of this Regulation shall be prohibited, except where it is not possible to transport the game to the game-handling site due to:

11.1. geographical or climatic conditions;

11.2. a natural disaster endangering the health and safety of the persons engaged in hunting;

11.3. the necessity to use disproportionately large collection resources if the game cannot be physically moved.

12. In the cases referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation, the removed organs shall be buried in the ground so that wild animals would not be able to dig them up or collected in a waterproof bag and transported to specially designated places (for example, containers).

III. Additional Biosecurity Requirements in the Areas Restricted Due to an Infectious Animal Disease

13. If a quarantine territory and a risk zone have been declared in an administrative territory of Latvia in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding prevention and combating of infectious animal diseases, the additional biosecurity requirements referred to in Chapter III of this Regulation shall be applied in addition to the general biosecurity requirements referred to in Chapter II of this Regulation.

14. After the removal of organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities and handling of the game, the footwear, protective clothing, and game-handling site shall be cleaned, washed, and disinfected with disinfectants corresponding to the laws and regulations regarding requirements in relation to activities with biocidal products.

15. After hunting, a place and conditions shall be ensured for the storage of game until receipt of laboratory test results.

16. The carcase, meat, offal, and by-products may be used only after negative laboratory test results have been obtained.

17. If during laboratory testing of the hunted animal an infectious disease is detected, its carcase, meat, offal, and by-products shall be disposed of in accordance with the instructions given by the inspector of the Food and Veterinary Service.

18. After collection and disposal of the infected carcase, meat, offal, and by-products, the place and the premises where the game has been stored until receipt of laboratory test results shall be cleaned, washed, and disinfected with appropriate means which correspond to the laws and regulations regarding requirements in relation to activities with biocidal products and are effective against the specific agents of the infectious disease.

19. Wild boar carcases shall be collected and disposed of in accordance with the requirements of the laws and regulations governing the field of veterinary medicine.

Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Translation © 2023 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)