WA poultry industry on edge as deadly H5 bird flu confirmed near Esperance

Western Australia’s multimillion-dollar poultry and agriculture industries fear the worst after tests confirmed a deadly strain of bird flu had crossed the country’s borders.

Concerns about the arrival of the highly contagious H5 variant, which is decimating wildlife populations and crippling agricultural sectors in Europe and America, became a grim reality on Saturday.

On Sunday evening authorities were dealing with 16 reports of sick birds being found between Perth and Esperance.

Growing concern, panicking breeders and chicken owners, had forced the Esperance Poultry Association to cancel its flagship annual show, originally scheduled for July 4.

Gavin Millard, president of the association, said that the threat of rapid spread in inland areas is challenging them.

“I talked to other members of the poultry club and everyone agreed that we should close things down and isolate,” he said.

“Unfortunately this means canceling our annual show, but the safety of the human flock must come first. We do this because we love our birds and we must do everything we can to keep them safe.”

“It’s not worth the risk. We’re better off staying isolated and doing what we can to keep our birds safe.”

Esperance became ground zero for bird flu in Australia on Friday when Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed that a brown skua had been found unwell in Cape Le Grand National Park.

The seabird died, and tests carried out on Saturday determined that the case was H5 bird flu virus.

A second bird, a giant wader found on a nearby beach, also tested positive in initial screenings. The CSIRO is rushing to complete definitive testing but that bird has also since died.

Mr Millard warned that a pandemic would be disastrous.

“Poultry owners would be devastated if the disease spread. Some people have spent decades raising and caring for their birds,” he said.

“Those who keep heritage breeds spend a huge amount of time, effort and money to improve their pedigrees and maintain quality livestock.

“Losing these birds would be heartbreaking, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid. We’re trying to avoid a situation where culling becomes necessary, whether in backyard flocks or commercial operations.”

Mr Millard is urging all poultry owners living in Esperance to remain vigilant.

“Many poultry owners are located closer to the coast, Esperance is a coastal town and there is significant bird movement along the coastline,” he said.

“If there is a virus, the place we are most likely to see it is on the coast, so we need to monitor this situation very closely.

“It’s highly contagious. That’s the part that worries people… The best they can do is keep native bird species away from their flocks as much as possible. That might mean keeping the birds confined in their pens for a while.”

Industry veterans warn that the consumer effects of a full-blown outbreak could be catastrophic. This will likely plunge WA into severe food shortages and cause grocery prices to skyrocket.

Lynn Kennedy, who ran Kennedy Free Range Chickens for 40 years before it closed earlier this year, had recently shipped 500 of her birds to Esperance.

He warned that under strict biosecurity protocols, a single positive case triggers total euthanasia of the herd.

“This will wipe out all the egg-producing birds,” he said.

“Then there will be a flow-on effect where there will be a massive shortage of eggs. As with anything, when anything is scarce, prices go up.”

He also warned that this could also affect the price of chicken.

“If it gets into the meat industry and they have to euthanize those birds, then there will be a chicken shortage,” he said.

“Chicken is one of the most consumed food products we have. Chicken will not be available, so people will have to find something else to use instead. The price of what is available will also likely increase.”

The process of rescuing a flock of chickens is extremely lengthy, Ms. Kennedy explained.

“A bird can only lay one egg a day, so there’s a limit to that. They have to get the eggs from somewhere and it takes three weeks for the birds to hatch. Half of them will be roosters, which are not very good for laying eggs. Then it takes at least 20 weeks for these birds to produce eggs. That’s about six months for production to recover,” he said.

“I feel bad for people who have to worry about that because that’s their entire livelihood. They might get some money to replace their birds, but then there’s the waiting period for those birds to come back into production.”

Minister Reece Whitby emphasized that WA had been preparing for this scenario for years and millions of dollars had been poured into cross-regional contingency plans.

“This is a real concern,” Minister Whitby said.

“We are very concerned about our local wildlife and of course our livestock industries. This needs to be taken seriously.

“I don’t know the details of the regulations, but I know this issue was on my mind a few years ago when I was Minister for the Environment.

“There has been planning between the states and the Federal government. Millions of dollars have been invested in the preparation, and I know there is regulation now in place regarding the response.”

But Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas wasted no time in ratcheting up the political tensions on the Cook Government, demanding absolute transparency as farmers look on the brink of financial ruin.

“Obviously this is a time of heightened concern,” Mr. Zempilas said.

“The livelihoods of our poultry farmers are at risk.

“It is very important that there is full disclosure, that all information continues to come in, that nothing is hidden… Our agricultural regions, our wildlife and especially those involved in poultry production are rightly anxious at the moment.”

Biosecurity officials are urging anyone who notices unusual wildlife deaths on the south coast to contact the emergency animal disease helpline immediately.