Visitor restrictions extended on Farne Islands after three new cases of bird flu confirmed
Last updated 25th Apr 2023
A restriction on visitors to the Farne Islands is set to continue over the summer after three new cases of bird flu were confirmed.
The National Trust - which owns the Nature Reserve off the Northumberland coast - first introduced the landing ban in February.
But, with many local businesses relying on tourism to survive, it had been hoped it would be lifted before the start of the new breeding season.
The charity previously revealed it had removed 6,000 carcasses of birds killed by the virus last year, when the islands were also closed to visitors.
The impact was greatest on guillemot, kittiwake and puffin populations, with 3542, 818 and 467 carcasses collected, respectively.
But it's feared the actual number killed is even higher, with many dead birds believed to have fallen into the sea, unaccounted for.
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A spokesperson for the Trust said: "The effect of the disease on the colonies that we care for could be devastating because many species have low reproduction rates, which means the loss of adult birds makes it hard for populations to recover.
"And, as these threatened seabirds return to their breeding sites, they become more vulnerable to infection as they nest in densely populated areas on the cliffs.
"Many of these species are rare or struggling already due to climate change, so we want to try to mitigate the impact of this disease by limiting human access, and limiting disturbance - which can cause stress to sick birds and potentially increase transmission of bird flu.
"We understand how many people love to visit the islands, but we must do everything we can to protect these much-loved seabirds by limiting the spread of the disease."
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The latest strain of bird flu is believed to have originated in east Asia, with infections seen in domestic birds in the UK before spreading to infect wild birds.
The restrictions on visitors to the Inner Farne and Staple Island are in place until end end of the breeding season in August, and extends to kayakers. But local sailing tours are still available.
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The spokesperson continued: "The National Trust has cared for this National Nature Reserve for just under 100 years, and there are no records of anything potentially so damaging to the already endangered seabird colonies."
But they add: "We are actively participating in international research efforts to understand the long term impacts of this disease, and are doing everything we can to mitigate the impact of the disease on the Farne Islands."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has advised that the risk to the general public's health is very low, but people should not touch sick or dead birds. If found, please report any dead birds to Defra on 0345 9335577.
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