Puerto Rico hearing on House Bill 641: agencies back farmers' right to hunt feral pigs with caveats

SAN JUAN — The House Commission on Natural Resources held a public hearing Sept. 15, 2025, on House Bill 641, which would direct the secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, DRNA/DNA) to exceptionally authorize affected farmers to kill feral (asilvedado) pigs on their land “without the need for a license or special permit,” and to coordinate carcass handling with the Department of Agriculture and other agencies.

The Departments of Agriculture and Health and the Asociación de Agricultores de Puerto Rico told the committee they support the bill’s objective to reduce crop losses and protect local food security, but they attached conditions or raised operational concerns. Andrés Rosado Martínez, secretario auxiliar de integridad agrocomercial del Departamento de Agricultura de Puerto Rico, said the department "respalda al proyecto de la cámara 641" because it would provide an additional tool for farmers to dispose of feral pigs and help control an invasive population. He noted existing federal collaboration with U.S. wildlife services for capture and humane euthanasia of animals.

Mayra Toro Tirado, directora de la División de Salud Ambiental del…