Two days ago I revealed that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (‘bird flu’) had been detected last month in a red grouse in the Scottish Borders (here).
In response, the Green Party is calling for a halt to grouse shooting and wants DEFRA to investigate the prevalence of this highly contagious disease on grouse moors.
The following statement was published yesterday by the Green Party:
The Green Party has called for grouse shooting season which is due to begin tomorrow (August 12), on what is known as the Inglorious 12th, to be cancelled following reports of avian influenza in red grouse in Scotland.
Green peer Natalie Bennett has called for all shooting activity to stop and for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to investigate how prevalent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is among birds on grouse moors.
Bennett said:
“We have seen reports today that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the disease that is cutting such a swathe through our wild bird populations, has just been found in red grouse in Scotland.
“Grouse moors, with their maximum annual population, are a bio-disaster waiting to happen tomorrow when the shooting season opens.
“It’s extremely concerning that, as things stand, tomorrow will see people walking and driving all over the moors, with their shotguns at the ready, about to pick up at least some of those lead-laced carcasses and spread them around the country.
“How, even given the prominent position of grouse moor owners and shooters in our corridors of power, can this biorisk be accepted?
“All shooting due to take place must be halted while this risk is fully investigated to ensure the safety of both wildlife and people across the country.”
ENDS
As I discussed in my earlier post, there’s very little detail about where this infected red grouse was found (‘Scottish Borders’ is a big region) and how many other dead red grouse, or other species, were found with it (we know that testing is limited and does not include every infected bird found, which compromises our understanding of the spread of this disease – this RSPB blog is a good primer on the subject).
Given the unnatural high density of red grouse on many driven grouse moors and their use of communal grit trays (disease reservoirs), avian flu could rip through these grouse moors in a flash, affecting not just red grouse but cross-contaminating other species and especially birds of prey that may consume the infected carcasses.
A former UK Government Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, had this to say about it on Twitter this morning:
Green Peer Natalie Bennet is right – DEFRA should be calling an immediate halt to driven grouse shooting and undertaking an assessment of the risk.
And not just DEFRA – given the extent of driven grouse moors in Scotland, NatureScot should be doing the same. They were asked to do last year but refused, saying: “There have been no recorded cases of avian influenza in any grouse species“. Well there has now, and on a Scottish moor!
Let’s ask them what they policy is now. Please send (polite) emails to:
and
Raptor Persecution UK 
The drugs used in medicated grit is only licenced for game bird but this grit is put out all over grouse moors where it is accessible by any other wild bird/animal species surely this should not be legal
Andrew – I’m afraid it is legal and is almost virtually unregulated. Have a read of this:
Too little too late as if this lot would take any notice and anyone who thinks anything will change if Labour gets in is in desperate need of a reality check.
Do you think DEFRA will do anything when they have just appointed Heather Hancock to their board and her and her husband own a large grouse Moor in Yorkshire !!!
The fact that avian flu has been prevalent in the wild bird population all summer. Would it be better if the grouse shooting was allowed to go ahead as normal to reduce grouse numbers on the moors, but with strict safety precautions introduced to reduce the risk of transmission to those involved in managing the shoots?
At the end of the shooting season could there then be a revaluation of of the grouse population and appropriate control measures put in place to ensure estates aren’t able to manipulate grouse numbers to the extent that the artificial and unnaturally high densities of game bird populations usually associated with DGS don’t act as a reservoir for this disease in future years?
From what I understand it is impossible to eradicate avian flu from wild bird populations, but it would be stupid to allow poor human land management activities to make this problem worse. Surely that wouldn’t be in the interests of either conservationists or shooting estates?
I was told by a local gamekeeper that last autumn a pheasant / partridge shoot in my local area had an outbreak of HPAI. I have the name but, obviously, because the evidence has been got rid of, I am not going to name them, couldn’t afford the legal fees.
They didn’t report it to DEFRA or APHA and released the birds regardless: clearly couldn’t care less about the impact on local wildlife or the law: money is the only thing that matters to these people.
Are these possibly infected grouse going to be cooked/eaten in homes and restaurants? Does this not increase the chance of mutation into a virus which could cause another human pandemic? I believe there have been some cases of people being infected with avian flu. Also the beaters, dogs and anyone handling the carcasses or the waste products?
Do you think DEFRA will do anything when they have just appointed Heather Hancock to their board and her and her husband own a large grouse Moor in Yorkshire !!!