Collserola will remain closed for at least three more months due to African swine fever

The decision changes the timetable that had been in place over recent weeks. If the health situation had improved, the Generalitat had hoped to begin easing restrictions at the end of September. The appearance of new infected animals and a larger-than-expected wild boar population has forced a delay to that scenario.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, there are still around 200 wild boar in the infected area and it is necessary to continue with the so-called sanitary clearance. The previous week, five new positive cases were confirmed after two weeks without detecting any infected animals.

Access to the natural environment of the Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola has been generally closed since 12 March. The first restrictions linked to the outbreak had begun months earlier in municipalities such as Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Cugat and Montcada i Reixac, and eventually spread throughout the metropolitan area.

The closure does not mean that all activity within Collserola is prohibited. The Generalitat still allows access to homes and certain economic activities in enclosed spaces, as well as to restaurants and sports facilities, always under the established health measures. What remains restricted is recreational access to the natural environment.

The measure directly affects residents of up to 19 municipalities in the metropolitan area who have been unable to use the paths and natural spaces as normal for months. From Sant Cugat, there has once again been a call for the Generalitat to open up areas considered safe to allow at least some civic activity.

Frustration is growing precisely because September had become the first reference point for a possible easing of restrictions. The new deadline now extends the closure almost to the end of the year and brings some areas close to the first anniversary of restrictions that began to be applied at the end of 2023.

The Generalitat maintains that the aim is to prevent human presence from dispersing the animals and hindering control efforts, as well as to minimise the risk of the virus spreading. If a dead wild boar is found, the authorities remind people not to touch it and to call 112.

The reopening date is therefore once again uncertain. The three-month period is a minimum, and any easing will depend on the evolution of the outbreak, new positive cases, and progress in managing the wild boar population.