Bird flu in North East totals almost half of all cases in Scotland
More than 4,000 wild birds have died or been sick from avian flu in the north east in under a year
Last updated 11th Sep 2023
New figures from the Scottish government show 4,244 wild birds have been found dead or sick in the North East since October 2022.
This is from the 10,087 that have been discovered across the country.
The birds continue to be washed up on beaches including Cruden Bay, Balmedie, Stonehaven and Inverbervie.
'Extremely worrying '
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Tess White expressed concern at the rise in cases and wants to see immediate measures in place, particularly to help poultry farms ahead of the busy Christmas period.
She said: “These figures are heartbreaking and show the destruction that bird flu has caused among the North East’s bird population.
“It’s extremely worrying that in some cases, we may actually see some bird species become extinct locally due to the astronomical death levels while others could take years to recover from the toll.
“I welcome the Scottish Wild Bird Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response Plan but the Scottish Government must ensure it enforces a multi-agency approach to monitoring and mitigating the spread of the disease in places such as our beaches.”
On bird flu impacting businesses ahead of Christmas, she added: “It’s vital the Scottish Government acts faster than last year by ensuring the appropriate safeguards are put in place immediately to prevent a repeat of the widespread disruption to flocks which was experienced by poultry farmers last Christmas.”