Avian Flu Crisis in the UK: A Growing Threat to Swans and a Costly Outbreak
The UK is currently experiencing a significant avian influenza outbreak, with case numbers exceeding those of last winter, though remaining below the record levels seen in the previous year. The currentโ strain โdisproportionately impacts waterfowl, particularly swans and geese.
Recent data reveals a concerning โคrise โin swan deaths. Since October, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has confirmed H5N1 โin 131โค Mute Swans and 28 Whooperโ Swans. Reports indicate 155 Mute Swan deaths โขfromโฃ 75 locations and 86 Whooper Swan deaths fromโ 18 locations in the last โtwo months alone, with double-digit fatalitiesโข occurring at the worst-hit sites. The โBritish Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is closely โขmonitoring โthe situation, relying on volunteer reports to supplement government surveillance data.A previous BTO study indicated at least 965 Mute Swan deaths suspected to be โขcaused by bird flu between 2021-23, raising fears of a long-term population impactโ -โฃ the latest national winter population index forโ Mute Swans is the lowest since 1996-97.
Specificโ locations are โexperiencing acute losses. Inโ Witney, Oxfordshire, two swans at Witney Lake have died after โtesting positive for avian flu. Six swans have died at Tongwell โขLakeโ in Milton โฃKeynes in the last two weeks,โค with volunteers anticipating further fatalities.
The economic impact of the outbreak is substantial. Freedom of Information requests reveal that avian flu outbreaks onโฃ game farms in England haveโค cost taxpayers over ยฃ100 millionโข since 2020, covering culling and โcompensation.โ There have been 26 outbreaksโค on game farmsโข in the last five years.โค
Animal Aid has criticised the game shooting industry, arguing it โprofits from theโ breeding and sale of birds, even benefiting from government compensation following outbreaks. They highlight the risk of diseaseโค transmission from captive-bred game birds to wildโ populations, and the broader environmental harms associated with releasingโ millions of pheasants and partridges into the countryside.
Notably, King Charles retains the ancient right toโ claim all unmarked mute โswans in open waters, โthough this right is largely ceremonial and exercised on the River Thames.
