Ministers have actually verified the existence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at a game-rearing farm in Angus (here).
The contaminated facilities were stated on 18th August 2023 at Forester’s Croft, Oathlaw, Forfar, DD8 3SA and Ministers have actually imposed a 3km Protection Zone and a larger 10km Surveillance Zone. This implies various measures are now in location in both zones, and the release of gamebirds is forbidden in both zones.
The broader Surveillance Zone covers part of Glenogil Estate in the Angus Glens, a name that will recognize to long-lasting readers of this blog site. Glenogil provides red grouse shooting however likewise pheasant and partridge shoots. If the estate is launching pheasant/partridge this year, then its shooting strategies might be impacted if it hadn’t already launched its gamebirds prior to 18th August (as they’ll still be classified as livestock/poultry till their release, when they suddenly morph into ‘wildlife’).
Forester’s Croft, the area of the contaminated facilities, is fascinating. An undated (although possibly 2017) sales pamphlet (here) reveals its distance to the grouse moors at the southern end of the Angus Glens, which must be of terrific issue offered the extremely infectious nature of bird influenza:
The contaminated facilities are believed to be linked to a business called Angus Game Plus Ltd, whose website recommends it raises 50,000 poults (pheasants, partridge and ducks) a year for the gamebird shooting market. I would normally offer a link to its website here however it is revealing as ‘unsecure’, so I won’t. This business likewise provides what it calls ‘shooting packages’ in the broader location, consisting of on other estates, specifically goose, duck and pigeon shooting.
This isn’t the very first time Forester’s Croft has actually concerned the attention of the authorities. In 2019 the owner was discovered to be in breach of preparing laws due to the fact that he didn’t have approval for his gamebird-rearing centers (see here and here).
Following the recent news that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has actually been verified in red grouse in the Scottish Borders (here), and now verified at a game-rearing center in Angus, the Scottish Government’s choice not to limit gamebird shoots this year seems progressively dangerous.
