Lesvos swine fever response faces funding crisis

The North Aegean Region is facing a funding crisis regarding the management of African swine fever on Lesvos. Since the first outbreak in March, the region has spent approximately 6 million euros on measures including spraying, animal culling, and other necessary interventions.

With the current spraying contract having expired, Regional Governor Kostas Moutzouris has formally requested funding from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to pay the teams conducting the spraying operations. The monthly cost for these works is estimated at 380,000 euros. While the Ministry of Interior provided 1.5 million euros in support, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food has yet to provide funding for the crisis.

The region has also requested permission to reallocate resources from funded projects and NSRF (ESPA) funds to combat the disease, but this request has not been accepted. The lack of immediate resources poses an urgent threat to the continuation of efforts to control the zoonotic disease.