Due to the decline in population in mountainous areas and the decrease in snowfall due to global warming, the habitat of wild boars and other wild animals is expanding. Wild boars have begun to cause damage in the Tohoku region, which was previously unaffected by them. These animals are weak to snow, and it becomes difficult for them to live when the snowfall is 30 cm or more and the snowfall period is 70 days or more. In particular, young animals are weak to the cold, and their population is limited by the cold and the amount of food. When wild boars advance into areas where they have not previously lived, the area is often unable to take appropriate measures. A local government has boldly taken on this challenge. Osaki City in Miyagi Prefecture has begun to exterminate wild boars and other animals and commercialize their meat as gibier. Until fiscal year 2016, there were almost no cases of wild boar capture in Osaki City. The number of wild boars is expected to increase to 278 in 2019, more than double to 690 in 2020, and further increase to 881 in 2023.
Osaki City has decided to use wild boars, which were once a nuisance, as a local resource. The aim is to kill two birds with one stone by preventing damage to agricultural products caused by wild boars and by increasing consumption of wild game. Osaki City has developed the first wild boar processing facility in the Tohoku region. This processing facility is equipped with machines for slicing and mincing, and can handle all processes from the production to commercialization. In addition to loin, offcuts, and minced meat, the city has also developed its own frankfurters. Wild game processed at this facility is sold at roadside stations in Osaki City under the name “Osaki Gibier”. The problem seems to be the number of animals captured and the lack of hunters. The break-even point for a meat processing facility is 500 animals processed per year. Currently, only 144 wild boars are brought in for 2024, compared to the target of 500.
Generally speaking, even the highest quality brand beef is not tasty when it is freshly dressed. It only takes a maturing process known as aging to achieve the flavor worthy of brand beef. It was difficult to age the meat of wild boars caught in the wild. If the blood is not drained within an hour of killing the wild boar, it will inevitably have an unpleasant smell. Recently, mobile vehicles capable of processing meat have been used at wild boar capture sites. Processing was previously difficult, but with the advent of mobile vehicles, it has become possible to quickly bring the meat to market. One of the challenges for the future is to expand sales channels by adding high added value to gibier. The second is to ensure stable income for hunters and build a system for a stable supply of wild animals.
