Marine & Coastal

Wild Gannet Colony Monitoring and HPAI Impacts

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has devastated gannet colonies, making monitoring and welfare response increasingly critical.

Key Facts

Gannets nest in large colonies on sea cliffs and islands around the UK coast
HPAI H5N1 caused mass mortality at Bempton Cliffs, Bass Rock and other major colonies in 2022
Diseased birds show neurological symptoms, inability to fly and progressive deterioration
Mass mortality events cause widespread suffering before death
Colony recovery from HPAI impacts may take many years given slow gannet reproductive rates

Welfare Considerations

HPAI causes prolonged suffering in individual gannets before death and has caused catastrophic colony losses. Monitoring enables early detection of new outbreaks. Currently there is no viable intervention at colony scale, making habitat protection and pollution reduction the priority welfare measures for surviving birds.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB and JNCC seabird monitoring programmes
Report sick or dead seabirds to the APHA Disease Surveillance team
Avoid disturbing seabird colonies during breeding season
Advocate for stronger marine pollution controls that weaken seabird immune function