Marine Wildlife

Wild Gannet Colony HPAI Recovery

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) devastated UK gannet colonies in 2022. Understanding recovery and ongoing vulnerability informs conservation priorities.

Key Facts

HPAI H5N1 killed tens of thousands of gannets at UK colonies in 2022
Bass Rock, the world's largest northern gannet colony, lost an estimated 25% of birds
Recovery is ongoing but HPAI remains circulating in seabird populations
Gannets return to the same colony sites, making recovery dependent on survivors
Monitoring mortality and reproduction provides insight into recovery trajectory

Welfare Considerations

Mass HPAI mortality in gannet colonies represents enormous welfare harm at scale. Infected birds experience neurological symptoms, seizures, and death over days. The welfare of individual birds suffering from HPAI, combined with the scale of mortality, makes colony disease a major animal welfare concern alongside conservation.

What You Can Do

Support the RSPB and BTO monitoring of seabird colony recovery
Report sick or dead seabirds to the appropriate wildlife health authorities
Advocate for biosecurity measures near seabird colonies during HPAI outbreaks