A day without a wild boar: expected impacts of African swine fever-related depopulation

African swine fever (ASF) is reshaping wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations across Europe through disease-induced mortality and intensified population control. The recent ASF emergence in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona raises the prospect of substantial and prolonged declines in wild boar abundance across the Iberian Peninsula, with consequences extending beyond disease control itself. We discuss the potential ecological, health, and socio-economic consequences of these population changes by synthesising evidence from Iberia and other European contexts. The reduced wild boar numbers may alleviate impacts associated with overabundance, including agricultural damage, biodiversity loss, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and pathogen maintenance at the wildlife-livestock-human interface. Simultaneously, substantial population declines may reduce prey availability for large predators, increasing livestock predation; reduce hunting opportunities and wild boar-derived economic activity; and generate social conflict over lethal control. Anticipating these trade-offs can inform ASF management and prepare for the broader consequences of rapid wild boar population decline across Iberia.