Wild Animal Welfare

Wild Avian Influenza Seabird Recovery

Seabird population recovery following catastrophic HPAI mortality requires both time and targeted management to restore individual welfare at colony scale.

Key Facts

Gannet colonies at Bass Rock and elsewhere lost 25-50% of adults in 2022-23 outbreaks
Recovery depends on survival of unaffected juveniles and remaining breeding adults
Breeding season monitoring reveals recovery trajectory through nest counts and productivity
HPAI may become endemic in seabird populations requiring ongoing welfare response
Research into vaccine delivery methods for wild seabirds is an active priority

Welfare Considerations

Individual seabirds surviving HPAI outbreaks face the challenge of reestablishing colonies with reduced numbers. Recovery monitoring that tracks individual welfare through nesting success and productivity provides the data needed to assess whether populations are genuinely recovering.

What You Can Do

Support seabird colony monitoring organisations tracking post-HPAI recovery
Donate to research into seabird HPAI vaccine development
Report sick or dead seabirds to UKHSA and APHA for population monitoring