COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Pork Council (OPC) has approached the Ohio General Assembly, asking the governing body to clamp down on feral swine in the state. Legislation, the OPC argues, is needed to protect the state’s livestock industry.

Their cry was heard loud and clear, and late last month, Ohio’s House of Representatives gave its unanimous support for legislation aimed to stop the transport of feral swine into the state and lower the reproduction of the wild, destructive and potentially disease-carrying hogs. Ohio House Bill 503 passed by an 89-0 vote and now moves to the Senate. The bill prohibits ownership of feral swine for hunting and revokes a license for feeding garbage to swine.

“Too many folks in many states have intentionally brought in feral swine, mainly from the south, to have canned hunts where people pay to hunt them,” said Mike King, senior director of communication and public relations for OPC.

King said the legislation bans this activity to help protect Ohio’s domestic hog production from the threat of disease, including African swine fever.

“If a farmer or landowner does shoot a feral pig, the bill requires them to notify USDA Wildlife Services within 24 hours,” King said.

The bill makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to own feral swine or wild boars, and a fifth-degree felony to release them into the wild or bring them into the state.

“We’re celebrating the bill in the House, and we remain very optimistic this bill will see bipartisan passage in the Senate soon to pave the way of giving our state’s largest industry, agriculture, the added protection from the risk of foreign animal diseases that we’re seeking,” said Cheryl Day, executive vice president of OPC.

Beyond the reduced risk of animal disease, Day pointed to the immense damage that non-native feral swing bring to Ohio’s land, crops, soil and water each year, which she says alone justifies the passage of HB 503 in the Senate.

According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, feral hogs can weigh up to 500 pounds, run up to 30 miles per hour and are one of the most destructive invasive species on the planet. Ohio Veterinary Medical Association Executive Director Christopher Henney said, “feral swine may carry at least 30 viral and bacterial diseases and nearly 40 parasites.”

As omnivores, feral swine eat pretty much everything. They can wreak havoc on farmers’ fields and prey on vulnerable livestock, causing billions of dollars in agricultural damage each year. They’re a nuisance to native species, displacing them with aggression and competition as they spread disease and parasites.

Feral swine have a vigorous reproductive potential. In favorable conditions, sows can breed as young as five to 10 months old, and are capable of producing litters of three-eight piglets twice a year.

According to the USDA, feral hogs are now found in more than three-quarters of the country, with a population estimated of 9 million causing about $2.5 billion in agricultural damages each year. The USDA said feral swine hurt crop yields by rummaging through farmers’ fields, oftentimes targeting sugar cane, corn, grain sorghum, wheat, oats, peanuts and rice. They also target vegetable and fruit crops, including lettuce, spinach, melons and pumpkins. If given the opportunity, they will also prey upon lambs, full-grown sheep, baby goats and calves.

Wild, feral swine have gained a foothold in southern Ohio. Feral swine are even worse in Michigan, as they’ve been spotted in 26 percent of Michigan’s 83 counties. The Bluegrass State is reportedly among the top 15 states where feral swine are a big problem, with numbers estimated from 1,000 to 10,000, as reported by the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program.

There are no known feral pig populations in Indiana.

Other groups in Ohio that support this legislation include the Cattleman’s Association, the Soybean Association, the Sheep Improvement Association, the Poultry Association, and the Dairy Producers Association.