Law enacted to curb growing wild pigs threat to agriculture

A new law empowers the Natural and Environmental Resources secretary to grant special non‑sport hunting permits to farmers whose crops and land are being damaged by wild hogs. (pr51st.com)

By THE STAR STAFF

In a move aimed at strengthening protections for agriculture, food security and public health, Puerto Rico has enacted House Bill 641 into law to address the rapid spread of wild hogs across multiple regions of the island.

The measure, now Law 102‑2026 and authored by Rep. Axel “Chino” Roque Gracia, empowers the secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to grant special non‑sport hunting permits to farmers whose crops and land are being damaged by wild hogs. The permits fall under the population‑control provisions of Article 16(a) of Puerto Rico’s Wildlife Act (Law 241‑1999).

The new law also amends Regulation 6765, which governs wildlife conservation and hunting, to add wild hogs to Appendix 2, the list of invasive and harmful species. Lawmakers said the change is intended to protect the island’s agricultural sustainability as farmers continue to report significant losses tied to hog activity.

The DNER secretary is further authorized to coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and other state and federal agencies on the management, control and disposal of wild hogs once they are captured or hunted, as well as any additional actions needed to implement the law.

“This legislation protects our crops, strengthens food security, and addresses a situation that has affected our farmers for years,” Roque Gracia said in a written statement Thursday. “We are prioritizing those who produce the food that reaches our tables and who contribute significantly to economic development.”

Farmers across Puerto Rico have long warned that unchecked hog populations pose a serious threat to local food production, damaging crops, agricultural infrastructure, and the productivity of farms that support much of the island’s food supply chain.

The District 28 (Corozal, Naranjito, Barranquitas and Comerío) lawmaker said the Legislature will continue working closely with mountain communities to develop “concrete, effective, and responsible solutions.”