Calls to ban gamebird release to avoid ‘catastrophic’ avian flu outbreak

Conservationists have called for ministers to ban the release of millions of gamebirds to prevent the UK’s wild birds being wiped out by a “catastrophic” avian flu epidemic this winter. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said there was a significant risk that pheasants, partridge and ducks released for shooting from 1 October could spread avian influenza into wild bird populations, wreaking havoc in farmland and garden birds.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/10/calls-to-ban-gamebird-release-to-avoid-catastrophic-avian-flu-outbreak?source=Snapzu