Agriculture ministry seeks to legalize sale of wild boar meat

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to present a cabinet paper to obtain permission for the sale of wild boar meat by next week. The Ministry stated that plantations of coconut, yams and bananas have been severely affected by the wild boar population. Although the prevailing law bans the killing of wild boars within forest reserves, no such restriction is imposed on killing the animals that enter plantations and destroy crops. However, the Wildlife Department stated that the sale of wild boar meat is illegal and that individuals engaged in it could be fined up to Rs 30,000.