Abrantes, Portugal, Sept. 14, 2026 (Lusa) - The municipalities of the Médio Tejo region wish to join the pilot project the government is preparing to manage the wild boar population – an issue which, whilst varying in severity, is a focus of attention across the entire region, the president of the CIM said on Monday.
«Some municipalities face a more serious situation than others; however, it is a widespread concern across the Médio Tejo region,» Manuel Jorge Valamatos told Lusa, adding that the Médio Tejo Intermunicipal Community (CIM) had informed the government of its willingness to take part in the pilot project.
The 11 municipalities that make up the Médio Tejo CIM, in the district of Santarém, adopted a joint position after learning of the Government's intention to launch pilot projects to regulate the species' population density.
According to Valamatos, also the mayor of Abrantes, the municipalities, although facing problems to varying degrees, are willing to participate in any measures that may be developed.
«We are making ourselves available to the government so that the Médio Tejo region can take part in these pilot programmes,» he said.
The CIM president said he was still awaiting details of the specific measures, the areas to be covered, and the programme's rules.
When Lusa asked whether the Médio Tejo region was willing to act as a pilot area and collaborate in developing a model that could be applied in other regions, Valamatos confirmed the municipalities' openness to participating in this process.
«We have shown our willingness to participate, to be part of the solution, and this is what we have conveyed to the Government and, of course, to the 11 municipalities that are willing to collaborate on this initiative,» he said.
The Minister for Agriculture and Maritime Affairs, José Manuel Fernandes, recently announced that the government is preparing a pilot scheme to provide financial compensation for every wild boar culled in areas where the population is excessive; however, the Government has yet to disclose the amount, the areas covered, or the rules.
Lusa has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea about the measure's implementation and the intentions of the Médio Tejo Intermunicipal Community (CIM), and is awaiting a response.
In Mação, the local council and hunting associations decided on Thursday to draw up a plan to reduce the wild boar population, with the council acknowledging it would fund measures such as support for hunting packs and licences, as well as solutions for storing and disposing of culled animals.
In Sardoal, the council has scheduled a meeting of the Municipal Hunting Council for 29 September with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) and hunters' associations, in light of what mayor Pedro Rosa (PSD) described as an «exponential» increase in the wild boar population.
In the municipality of Abrantes, Valamatos said the situation remains unchanged, with occasional sightings of the animals in urban areas.
«The same concerns, as always, remain. Sightings, even in urban areas, are occasional, it is true, but we always harbour this concern,» he stated.
The mayor explained that the council has been working closely with hunters' associations which, under the authority of the ICNF, have been helping to control the species.
Regarding the challenges of taking action in urban areas, where hunting is not a viable option, Valamatos said it was necessary to be aware of the specific measures and strategies the government plans.
«We do not know the exact details of the measures to be introduced, but we know that the government […] intends to launch pilot programmes to control wild boar populations, and we are willing to cooperate,» he said.
The Médio Tejo region has been highlighting the wild boar issue for several years, with reports of crop damage, animals venturing close to settlements, and road incidents in several municipalities.
The ICNF has acknowledged that the wild boar population currently stands at around 300,000 animals in mainland Portugal.
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