A scientific meeting on the wild boar was recently organised in Tiznit on the theme "Agriculture and Wild Boar". It was chaired by Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries, in the presence of Abdeladim El Hafi, High Commissioner for Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification. This meeting is part of the management of risks and the negative impact of wild boars on crops. The work of this meeting was devoted to determining the institutional framework and regulatory instruments. Then, the effects of this wild mammal on local agriculture, which often prove to be harmful, were examined. The state of play and the testimonies of the inhabitants attest to this. The participants also evaluated the measures taken to manage wild boars, inspired by the experience of three countries with expertise in the matter. These are, of course, the experiences of France, the USA, and Spain. They also articulated their work around ecology, population dynamics, the behaviour of this animal, hunting practices, and the valorisation of the faunal heritage that this region enjoys and of which the wild boar is a part. Therefore, in accordance with the recommendations of the master plan relating to hunting, initiated by the supervisory ministry and the High Commission for Water and Forests and the Fight against Desertification, particularly those relating to the control of this species, the meetings were an opportunity to exchange data on the current state of this population in the Souss-Massa-Drâa region, to measure the impact of the evolution of wild boars on this territory, which contains significant floristic and faunal potential, and on the activities of the rural population. The participants also recalled and evaluated the regulatory provisions and practices put in place to maintain the balance of the ecosystem of which the wild boar is a part. Scientists, researchers, and representatives of hunters then proceeded, at the end of this meeting, to the presentation of the national context, its specificities in this case, and that of the institutional and regulatory mechanisms for managing the wild boar in Morocco. They thus began the evaluation of the operational mechanism for managing the wild boar, which has the mission of both defending agricultural and hunting interests and preserving biodiversity. And for the sustainability of the said sharing approach, the experiences and methods for monitoring the dynamics of the wild boar population and its distribution in the vital space in which it is called to evolve were revealed.
Damage caused by the animal
The increase in wild boar density aggravates economic risks and threatens agricultural holdings and plant and animal production sectors. The direct and indirect costs resulting from the damage caused by wild boars can heavily weigh on the profitability of a farm. The economy of an entire region can be disrupted and the consequences can extend to the entire production sector.
Furthermore, road accidents caused by large wildlife, but mainly by wild boars, the incidence of which is largely underestimated, are not only always at the origin of significant material damage, but also of loss of human life.
Therefore, a prevention policy is essential to limit damage to plant and animal production. At the same time, it is necessary to preserve this game species and promote all actions favourable to the establishment of the famous agro-sylvo-hunting balance.
