Ministers have confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at a game-rearing farm in Angus (here).
The infected premises were declared on 18th August 2023 at Forester’s Croft, Oathlaw, Forfar, DD8 3SA and Ministers have enforced a 3km Protection Zone and a wider 10km Surveillance Zone. This means various measures are now in place in both zones, and the release of gamebirds is prohibited in both zones.
The wider Surveillance Zone covers part of Glenogil Estate in the Angus Glens, a name that will be familiar to long-term readers of this blog. Glenogil offers red grouse shooting but also pheasant and partridge shoots. If the estate is releasing pheasant/partridge this year, then its shooting plans may be affected if it hadn’t already released its gamebirds prior to 18th August (as they’ll still be classed as livestock/poultry until their release, when they suddenly morph into ‘wildlife’).
Forester’s Croft, the location of the infected premises, is interesting. An undated (although maybe 2017) sales brochure (here) shows its proximity to the grouse moors at the southern end of the Angus Glens, which should be of great concern given the highly contagious nature of avian influenza:
The infected premises are believed to be linked to a company called Angus Game Plus Ltd, whose website suggests it raises 50,000 poults (pheasants, partridge and ducks) a year for the gamebird shooting industry. I would usually provide a link to its website here but it is showing as ‘unsecure’, so I won’t. This company also offers what it calls ‘shooting packages’ in the wider area, including on other estates, especially goose, duck and pigeon shooting.
This isn’t the first time Forester’s Croft has come to the attention of the authorities. In 2019 the owner was found to be in breach of planning laws because he didn’t have permission for his gamebird-rearing facilities (see here and here).
Following the recent news that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been confirmed in red grouse in the Scottish Borders (here), and now confirmed at a game-rearing facility in Angus, the Scottish Government’s decision not to restrict gamebird shoots this year looks to be increasingly risky.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I’m just surprised this doesn’t occur more often given the way these poor birds are objectified and so routinely horribly treated.
Presumably all birds being reared on the premises have been slaughtered as is the case with poultry? How many birds are involved, have they said? What can the authorities do about any birds already sent out to shoots? Are they being disposed of or tested if already released? This is very worrying and it’s about time all these intensive bird rearing facilities were shut down
I hope the officials will ensure strict quarantine. I hope this speeds up the end of birds being bred just to be shot for amusement.It will be good to be able to visit restored heathland with their abundance of plants and wildlife. Now sadly lacking in England where cheap housing estate replaced heathland.The MOD at least are hanging on to some good heathland.
Excellent if this leads to safe disposal of infected birds. Is any Govt Dept monitoring these units and testing birds I wonder?
We should be asking Govt to check any dead birds found on shooting land.
This is in addition, then, to three other outbreaks at commercial pheasant premises last week – 2 near Fraserburgh (Aberdeenshire) and 1 near Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway). All birds will be euthanised. Links to ScotGov website are: https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/fX_qCER3RtkQAO4HwW9A3/; https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/JzpMCG636C2VyE3upwAyT/; https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/bp2eCJ636Cg74l9tLi3H4/
A further comment. There are Pheasants in all the forests I know where there are still Capercaillies hanging on and I’ve seen Red-legged Partridges in some of them too. Pheasants and/or Redlegs have been present for years on most, if not all, grouse moors too.
Apart from the more obvious infection problems already proven and linked with the decline of Grey Partridges, what is being done by NatureScot and other Govt departments to prevent further inroads of non-native game birds into our forests. How embarrassing it would be if Govt inaction and the shooting fraternity managed to make extinct one of their former legal quarry species!
I don’t suppose Angus Council’s beaches being left all summer strewn with dead seabirds, has anything to do with this outbreak?
Isn’t it funny when Covid kicked off we all did as we were told by the government with no alternative. Yet bird flu comes generally for migrating birds geese ducks pigeons curlews swallows swifts starlings scabby seagulls millions of birds. So if the government had the balls for a cull then would it be acceptable by the joe blogs public ?? Instead of finger pointing to the game industry? The game bird isn’t fetching the disease into the uk but is being penalised simple…….
The way these birds are reared is ideal for diseases to flourish and all so someone can shoot the poor buggers what a sick set up there is evidence bird flu originated from birds being kept in lousy conditions in the far East in the first place so how anyone can claim these factory farms for Pheasants and such are being victimised is completely ludicrous.
Not gamebirds as such, but I have noticed a vast reduction in songbirds this year in South Pembrokeshire. Still plenty of gulls, crows, Jackdaws and a fair amount of Magpies. I have heard a raven, but not seen it. There is a distinct loss in the local Murmuration of Starlings, too. Bees and butterflies are reduced too, by quite a margin.