Present conditions of agricultural damage from wild boar, farmers' attitudes, and future prospects of agriculture in Shimane Prefecture

Abstract

Researchers conducted questionnaire surveys targeting farmers, as well as hearings in 9 village communities in Shimane Prefecture, in 2001 and 2002, to analyze the present status of agriculture, wild boar damage, and farmers' attitudes toward these issues. With 508 respondents to the questionnaire, the response rate was 64.0%. About half of all farmers (53.5%) answered they still experienced agricultural damage from wild boar, and 76.0% had experienced it. Most farmers who had experienced damage installed fences as countermeasures (81.1%), and the costs and labor to do so were regarded as a heavy burden. However, agricultural damage from wild boar did not significantly affect the farmers' perspectives. About a half of respondents experiencing damage recognized the importance of wild boar management in order to continue farming activities, but the absence of successors and low profitability were regarded as more serious problems. The hearings revealed that the installation of fencing mostly depended on the extent of financial assistance from the local government.