Resolution No. 17-03M

WHEREAS, wild boar are not categorized as domestic game farm animals and therefore producers are not required to tag or provide any other form of identification on their wild boar; and

WHEREAS, wild boar can be very destructive to private property if they escape from their fences; and

WHEREAS, Section 27(1) of The Stray Animals Act states "The owner of a stray shall be liable to a proprietor for any damage caused by the stray to the property of the proprietor", but without proper identification finding the rightful owner of the stray wild boar and having the person admit ownership of the stray can be at best very difficult; and

WHEREAS, The Stray Animals Regulations, 1999, states specific fencing requirements for wild boar, although it is up to the local municipality and the RCMP to enforce these fencing regulations; and

WHEREAS, the Provincial Government promoted wild boar as suitable for diversification without providing proper information to prospective producers, such as the difficulty in containing the animals;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SARM lobby to have wild boar included as a domestic game farm animal, thereby making proper identification of the animal mandatory, as well as placing the onus of fencing and tagging inspections on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization.

Response From Honourable Clay Serby, Minister of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization:

The Government of Saskatchewan appreciates the challenges presented by escaped wild boar. The regulatory changes SARM proposes may improve regulatory framework, but unfortunately, will do little to address the practical problems of locating and killing the animals. Tagging would be effective only for animals which escape from a farm, but would do little for animals which are born in the wild. It would not make it any easier to find or destroy wild boars. However, The Stray Animals Act and The Stray Animals Regulations, 1999, do provide authority to municipalities for dealing with stray animals, including wild boar. The regulations also specify minimum fencing requirements for wild boar.

Local municipalities have much greater ability than the province to monitor and enforce local issues such as land use and fencing. Regardless of ownership, the Act allows for stray animals to be detained in pounds and the owners held responsible for the associated costs. The Act also contains provisions which allow a person to kill a stray animal where the stray is in the act of harming, endangering or pursuing any person or livestock. Proprietors may also kill strays if conditions, including approval from the rural municipality are obtained.