The Civil Guard of the Region of Murcia, within the actions carried out for the surveillance of the natural environment, has developed an action in Águilas, which has allowed to detect a farm where the alleged breeding of ten Vietnamese pigs was carried out illegally, as reported by sources of the Armed Institute in a statement.
The action was developed when civil guards of the Service for the Protection of Nature (SEPRONA) became aware that a person could be engaged in the illegal breeding of these animals that have been listed as an invasive alien species since January 1, 2022 in the ‘Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species’.
Once the breeding place of these animals was located, SEPRONA agents proceeded to the identification of the owner and at the same time proceeded to inspect the facilities.
Inside they found a dozen Vietnamese pigs and four dogs. In addition, the agents observed that the enclosure that housed them was made of wooden pallets and bed bases, which meant that it did not meet the appropriate safety conditions for possible escapes of the animals into the natural environment.
As a result of the inspection, the civil guards found that the owner lacked any documentation relating to these animals, which were not sterilised. He also did not have the responsible declaration for the possession of this exotic species nor the registration in the Register of exotic animals of the Autonomous Community, as established in the Law 42/2007 of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, as the Vietnamese pig is included in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species.
For these facts, the owner has been denounced for infringements to the Law 42/2007, of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
INVASIVE SPECIES
It should be remembered that the Vietnamese pig is a species that has proliferated in recent years due to its possession as a pet. The indiscriminate release or escape of these animals can lead to their reproduction in the natural environment, due to their great capacity for hybridisation with wild boar (generating the hybrid known as «piglets»). In this way, the genetic heritage of the native population of these mammals is reduced.
