Minister for Primary Industries, Tim Mulherin, said pig hunters were reportedly capturing and feeding feral pigs following a recent closure in the wild boar export trade.

"The closure of the wild boar export trade resulted in the shutting of some regionally operated chiller boxes leaving no market option for people engaged in hunting these pest animals," Mr Mulherin said.

"That market has since reopened but pig hunters are reminded that keeping feral pigs without a permit is an offence which attracts a maximum penalty of $40,000 under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.

"It is also an offence to feed feral pigs or to transport live feral pigs without a permit, and heavy fines could be applied to successful prosecutions."

Mackay-based Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries biosecurity officer Corey Bel said: "Initial investigations into the issue of people keeping and feeding feral pigs indicate the practice could be on the increase throughout the state.

"This opens up a possibility that these feral animals could be illegally swill-fed on domestic kitchen waste potentially containing meat and dairy products.

"The out-dated practice of swill feeding was totally banned more than 30 years ago and is an acknowledged high risk avenue for the introduction of animal diseases including foot and mouth disease (FMD).

"It is a serious offence reflected in a maximum fine of $30,000 for individuals."

Food scraps from a café fed to pigs in the United Kingdom in early 2001 caused the foot and mouth disease outbreak that resulted in the slaughter of 4 million animals on 9500 farms.

Biosecurity Queensland will be progressing its property surveillance activities to stamp out the illegal keeping of feral pigs.