In the UK, we have seen devastating numbers of seabirds dying due to Avian Flu, with some areas recording tens of thousands of deaths. Now we are seeing the impact of Avian Flu in the South West, with a growing number of seabird carcasses appearing on our beaches and floating in the sea off Cornwall.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is asking the public and the Trust’s volunteers to stay away from sick or dead seabirds and under no circumstances touch or handle the animals due to high risk and severity of Avian bird flu.

Any dead bird records must be called into the Defra hotline immediately, as outlined in the poster below.

Report a dead seabird

It is the landowner’s responsibility to remove and dispose of the dead seabirds safely.

The Trust’s Marine Strandings Network continues to collect data on all dead stranded marine animals (such as dolphins, seals and seabirds) in Cornwall via its 24-hour hotline at 0345 201 2626. However, as with all wild animals, we encourage the public to stay well away from carcasses (minimum 2 meters) as they may contain diseases transmittable to humans, including bird flu in the seabirds we are seeing stranded on our beaches today.