AVIAN FLU DISASTER FEARS
Action call as dead gannets found on beaches spark fears of bird flu spread
DOMESTIC poultry and wildlife could be decimated in a matter of weeks unless the National Parks and Wildlife Service take urgent action over a suspected strain of avian flu.
It comes after dozens of dead Gannets have been found on beaches and harbours across Ireland in recent days.
The remains of the stunning seabirds have been discovered by locals and rescue volunteers sparking fears there is an outbreak among the wild bird population.
Meanwhile, wildlife and rehabilitation centres have been inundated with calls from concerned members of the public.
The diving birds, some of which have a wingspan of up to two metres, are found all over the country along the sea.
Massive colonies in the UK have been destroyed recently after a suspected deadly strain of Avian flu, and now there are fears that it has already spread to Ireland.
Urgent
Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland said they have received “hundreds of calls” about dead gannets and called for “urgent action” by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) before ducks, foxes and domestic poultry are destroyed.
He said: “Bio security is now a big concern. I have personally found four dead gannets near my home and one on the N11 yesterday. “Birdwatch Ireland has received hundreds of calls about dead gannets and it’s a terrible shame. “We are waiting for clarification on what to do, and how to handle the situation and the advice is not coming quick enough from the National Parks and Wildlife Service or the Department of Agriculture.
Stunning
“Gannets are stunning birds and the reason they are being affected most of all is because the nesting season is not over for them yet.
“We don’t know if it is an Avian flu outbreak, but it is most certainly a suspected case of the virus.
“We are calling for immediate clarification from the NPWS on what is happening as the situation is awful. It really is horrible.”
Gannets have been mostly affected but small numbers of the Razorbill and Guillemot have fall victim too.
“People are being asked to log a siting with the Department of Agriculture and not to touch the birds,” Niall added.
“There is a small risk of the virus spreading to humans but again, we don’t know what it is. This is a bio security concern; the carcasses of these birds need to be lifted urgently because if other wildlife goes near these carcasses, you are facing a spread of the virus and a possible wipe-out.
“This requires immediate attention. We are not trying to cause alarm but we don’t have clarification and there are dead birds all over the beaches.
“In the UK an entire colony of the Roseate
Terns has been wiped out. We have the largest colony of that bird in Europe on
Rockabill island in
Skerries, thankfully it has not been affected but there are huge fears.”
Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds.
In rare cases, it can affect humans. There are lots of different strains of bird flu virus, most of them don’t infect people.
Damning
Last year, the HPAI H5N1 strain was found in swans, a sea eagle, a barn owl, a herring gull and even a peregrine falcon in Ireland. Meanwhile, Brendan Price from the Irish Seal Sanctuary told us: “It looks pretty damning and decimating for the gannets and other wildlife.
“These things are on-going all the time, so all the advice we can give the public is to exercise care and caution physically with specific reference to animals that are carrying an easily transmittal strain.
“Unfortunately, it is bad for the gannets right now.
“What they can do is, the biodiversity heritage centre in Waterford has a portal where people can log things.
“I found a dead Pine Martin yesterday; I log these things and use photos. It quickly builds up a picture for us as these things are unfolding and the public can access it too.
“It’s a little tedious thing but it is well worth the effort as it builds up data bases.”