SCOTLAND'S official nature agency has asked the public including goose shooters to avoid Findhorn Bay in Moray after reports of more than 22 dead pink-footed geese.
NatureScot, which has asked wildfowlers and recreational shooters not to shoot around the bay and surrounding feeding fields said there was also an "unusual number" of dead gulls in the area.
There were reports of an estimated 45 dead herring gulls but NatureScot is still awaiting test results to confirm if the deaths are due to avian flu.
But walkers and other members of the public are being asked to avoid the bay to "minimise the possible impact" of avian flu on wild birds.
NatureScot is awaiting test results to confirm if the deaths are due to avian flu. In the meantime, the nature agency has agreed a call for voluntary restraint with Moray Council as a precautionary measure.
NatureScot said: "Fortunately, the risk to human health from the virus is very low, but members of the public should continue to avoid touching sick or dead wild birds and keep dogs on the lead in areas where there are infected birds."
Two weeks ago more than 100,000 birds were culled at three Scottish farms amid the UK's worst avian flu outbreak.
One Ayrshire farmer lost 32,000 hens in a week.
And farming union NFU Scotland revealed 72,000 birds had also been "taken out" at two farms in Aberdeenshire over a ten day period - taking the total to 104,000.
In October, just four avian flu cases were recorded in Scotland, compared with 80 in England.
Some shops including Asda and Lidl started to ration the number of boxes of eggs customers can buy due to supply issues believed to be partly caused by avian flu.
Alastair MacGugan, NatureScot’s wildlife management ,anager, 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.”
NatureScot said it has a surveillance network monitoring migrating geese and wintering waterbirds to guard against the continuing threat of avian flu this winter.
Information gathered by a team of site managers and volunteers across the country is feeding into the work of Scotland’s avian flu task force, helping it provide swift advice to government, conservationists and land managers on practical actions to help reduce the transmission and impact of the virus.
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, so we’re grateful to all members of the public who continue to exercise caution around sick or dead birds in Moray. The same appreciation goes to wildfowlers who are able to refrain from activity in and around Findhorn Bay at this time.”
Migratory birds, especially waterbirds, carry different strains of the virus along their migration routes.
NatureScot said last winter, there was a large outbreak in Svalbard barnacle geese around the Solway, with approximately a third of that population impacted. Other goose species such as pink-footed geese were not impacted as heavily.
This past summer, the highly infectious H5N1 strain of the disease had a devastating impact on seabird populations.
H5N1 virus, which is the most prevalent strain now, was first reported in China in 1996 and has broken out sporadically ever since.
The H5N1 strain is deadly and can spread through entire flocks of domestic birds within a matter of days, through birds' droppings and saliva, or through contaminated feed and water.
NatureScot said now that the seabird breeding season is over and colonies have dispersed, concerns remain about how the outbreak could evolve over the coming months and affect migrating goose populations, other waterfowl and waders.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in a number of domestic poultry premises around Banff and Turriff where restrictions and prevention measures are in place.
Earlier this month, the chief veterinary officers from Scotland, England and Wales declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Great Britain to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading among poultry and other captive birds.
Scotland’s avian flu task force is overseeing the development and implementation of the upcoming Scottish Avian Influenza Response Plan which will inform management responses, monitoring, surveillance and support mitigation and recovery.
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