Licensed hunters can now shoot feral pigs anywhere in British Columbia following last week’s passage of new regulations.
The B.C. ministry of forests, lands and natural resource operations on March 20 declared feral pigs as “schedule C” wildlife, a class of animals that can be captured or killed anywhere and anytime in the province.
The department said escaped swine have been reported in the Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Okanagan, Peace and Kootenay regions, although not in large numbers.
“Feral pigs can cause significant damage to local ecosystems by competing with local wildlife for forage, damaging crops, uprooting native vegetation and eating the eggs of ground nesting birds,” the department said in a news release.
It added that feral pigs could also spread infectious diseases and parasites harmful to wildlife, livestock and humans.
As schedule C species, feral pigs are now in the same class as crows, black-billed magpies and brown-headed cowbirds. These birds can also be hunted by those with a valid licence.
