Bird keepers in an intensive poultry area of Co Tyrone have hit out at the response from the department to a number of dead whooper swans reported in recent days.

The dead swans were found at Enagh Lough outside the village of Caledon, with two of the swans collected by DAERA officials on 12 November and subsequently testing positive for avian influenza (bird flu).

However, other swans that have died at the site and been reported to DAERA, have not been collected by the department. A person who had reported a dead wild bird was told that DAERA may decide not to collect any further wild birds if they already have “sufficient understanding of the disease picture in that area”.

The dead birds have been eaten by other wildlife, leading to a concern it could result in a spread to foxes, etc.

“The DAERA response to local concerns and the lack of action, is causing a great deal of stress in this area, particularly with those of us that farm poultry,” said one local producer.

Landowner

The DAERA website states that responsibility for the collection of a dead bird rests with the landowner. Yet it also points to Public Health Agency advice not to touch or pick up dead birds. Where a dead bird needs to be disposed of, protective gloves should be worn, with the bird put in a plastic bag along with the gloves and thrown in a household refuse bin.