Denmark agreed to build controversial fence to protect its pig’s industry

News24xx.com - Denmark has agreed to build a controversial 1.5-meter fence with a length of 68 kilometers in an area bordering Germany. The reason stated to protect country's pig industry from contact with wild pigs that could carry African swine flu virus.

This 1.5 meter high fence with a half meter deep foundation will stand along Danish and German borders, from Wadden Sea in the west to the Flensburg Fjord in the east.

The construction of a fence scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019 was approved by parliament in June with support from the government, Social Democratic Party and the right-wing populist party, Danish People's Party.

The Ministry of Environment gave final approval for the project on Monday, August 13th 2018 after a public consultation. The 11 million euro fence is intended to prevent wild pigs from infecting pig farms and transmitting the swine flu virus.

Pigs are a Danish mainstay animal that has around 5,000 farms. This country exports 28 million pigs every year. This amount accounts for half of agricultural exports and five percent of total exports, according to data from Danish Agriculture and Food Council.

This virus is deadly in pigs, but does not affect humans or other animal species. The last virus was found in European Union member countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

News24xx.com/fik/red