Wildlife

Wild Avian Influenza Seabird Impact 2026

The continued welfare impact of HPAI on seabird colonies in the UK and conservation responses.

Key Facts

UK seabird colonies suffered significant HPAI mortality in 2022-2023 with some recovery
Gannet colonies at Bass Rock and elsewhere saw mortality of thousands of adults
Great skua populations were particularly severely impacted due to high mortality rates
Colonies are showing partial recovery but remain vulnerable to future waves
Wildlife sanctuary capacity for sick seabirds is limited and triage is necessary

Welfare Considerations

Seabird HPAI mortality causes immense individual suffering before death and population-level devastation that may take decades to recover from. The welfare response requires both immediate care for affected individuals and long-term immunity research.

What You Can Do

Never handle sick seabirds without proper PPE - report to APHA and RSPCA
Support seabird monitoring programs that track population recovery
Advocate for investment in HPAI wildlife surveillance and potential vaccination research