Public park bordering Barcelona forced to shut as African swine fever outbreak continues to spread – raising fresh fears for Spain’s lucrative pork industry

THE Collserola park on the outskirts of Barcelona has been closed following the discovery of a dead boar infected with swine fever. 

The discovery in the north-west suburb of Barcelona marks the first confirmed case of African Swine Fever (ASF) within city limits. 

Authorities have been forced to close the park and ban all recreational activities including hiking, running, cycling, and walking dogs, to avoid spreading the virus through people, vehicles, or animals.

Previously, access was limited to the park overnight. 

READ MORE: Investigators find 50 dead wild boars in swine fever quarantine zone near Barcelona – as dozens of countries ban Spanish pork

Barcelona authorities say they are going to set traps and catch as many wild boars as possible in the coming weeks.

Catalunya Minister of Agriculture, Oscar Ordeig, said, ‘we are going to be very forceful in capturing boars’. 

Since the outbreak of the latest wave of the fever in November 2025, authorities have detected over 220 infected wild boars in the region.

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African swine fever does not infect humans, but it is highly lethal for pigs and wild boars and can severely damage the pork industry. 

Even though no pig farms have been infected, the outbreak has led to export restrictions on Catalan pork to about 15% of international markets, forcing pig farms in the region to cut production by around 33%.

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