People have been asked to avoid Findhorn Bay in Moray after 22 pink-footed geese and an “unusual” number of gulls were found dead of suspected bird flu.
NatureScot is asking members of the public and goose shooters to stay away from the site as much as possible as it awaits test results to see if the deaths are due to the disease. The Scottish nature agency urged wildfowlers and recreational shooters not to shoot around the bay and surrounding feeding fields, and asked walkers and locals to also steer clear.
It comes as the UK is facing its largest ever outbreak of avian flu which has already killed tens of thousands of birds, with seabird populations particularly badly hit.
Alastair MacGugan, NatureScot’s Wildlife Management Manager, said: “We are very concerned about the impact of avian flu on our wild bird populations, particularly with these latest suspected cases in Moray. It’s crucial we respond to the evolving situation quickly to reduce the chances of the disease spreading further and faster in Scotland.
“We don’t think a blanket ban on shooting geese across the Moray coast is warranted. But given what seem to be increasing cases of avian flu in the area, we would ask shooters to exercise restraint at this point until we find out more. We are also grateful to members of the public for their assistance in avoiding the area to help prevent the spread.”
Colin Bell, Environmental Protection Manager for Moray Council, said: “While there is little risk to human health from the virus, it is one to take seriously as we see bird populations impacted considerably.”
It came after a fifth outbreak in Aberdeenshire was confirmed last weekend, with the virus impacting 200,000 birds in the north-east in the last month. The scale of the current outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu strain in the UK has been unprecedented, with more than 60 species affected, devastating Scots seabird colonies like gannets and great skuas.
More than 100,000 birds were culled at three Scottish farms two weeks ago in a bid to tackle the spread. One farmer in Ayrshire lost 32,000 hens in a week. And earlier this month in Glasgow, more than 20 swans were found dead in a park of suspected bird flu.
Since November 7 in England, all poultry and other captive birds must be kept indoors amid the crisis, but the measures have yet to be replicated in Scotland. NatureScot announced in July it was launching a taskforce to respond to the outbreaks, which includes a surveillance network monitoring migrating geese and wintering waterbirds.
The taskforce is also leading the work to develop and implement an upcoming Scottish Avian Influenza Response Plan.
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