Wiesbaden sounds the alarm: fences against African swine fever!

Wiesbaden sounds the alarm: fences against African swine fever!

In Wiesbaden, the city is taking a decisive step in the fight against African swine fever (ASF). On September 17, 2025, it was announced that special fences would be built to effectively prevent the spread of the animal disease. These fences will be erected in the affected areas, such as in the section from the southern cemetery to Erbenheim, around the airbase and in parts of Delkenheim that merge into the Main-Taunus district.

The newly erected barriers form so-called “white zones”, which consist of two stable rows of fences. These zones have proven to be effective in the fight against ASF in other local authorities if all parties involved, such as the population, cooperate. In addition to containing ASF, the goal is also to protect neighboring regions. Citizens are called upon to do this because the success of the measures depends heavily on their behavior.

Responsibility of citizens

The city of Wiesbaden appeals to walkers and dog owners to continue to be able to use many of the existing paths. Gates are installed in some places of the fences, which must be carefully closed after passing. “We thank the citizens for their careful behavior and support of the measures,” said a city representative, emphasizing the importance of community responsibility.

An important part of the new security measures is the consistent hunting of black pigs, which will take place in the protected area. The plan stipulates that wild boar hunting in the closed white zones will be released after the fencing work is completed. The aim is to ideally reduce the number of wild boars to zero in order to minimize the risks of ASF transmission. The White Zones are seen as a kind of buffer between infected and disease-free regions that are intended to break the chains of infection.

What are White Zones?

A “White Zone” is defined as a ring-shaped, wild boar-free corridor around a core area. In Hesse, these zones are usually between 500 and 2000 meters wide and are secured by two permanently installed fences. The white zones in Hesse are modeled on the successful measures in Brandenburg, where comparable concepts have been successfully implemented since 2020. A 5 kilometer wide fence corridor was created around the Neuzelle/Sembten area.

• Ziele der Weißen Zonen:
• Unterbrechung von Infektionsketten
• Haltung von Wildschweinen im infizierten Gebiet
• Verringerung des Schwarzwildbestands im Korridor

In addition, those authorized to hunt are obliged to tolerate searches for dead wild boars. These reforestation and hunting measures are supported by mobile collection teams and shooting bonuses of up to 200 euros per wild boar hunted, which are offered by the districts or independent cities. This is all done with the aim of creating a disease-free corridor to prevent the spread of ASF.

The decisive measures in Wiesbaden show how important community engagement and raising awareness among the population are in the context of disease control. Developments will have to be followed closely in the future in order to continue to make a contribution to agricultural safety and animal welfare.