DAN MOSKOVITZ (HE/HIM)
Documents revealed under the Official Information Act show how the Department of Conservation’s budget for bird flu preparation—the deadly avian pandemic sweeping the globe—is just $73000, or the cost of a nice car.
Bird flu, also called avian influenza, has killed millions of both wild birds and poultry. The current outbreak has so far only avoided Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. For how long? Who knows.
With many species of NZ birds already endangered, there’s real concern about bird flu causing extinctions upon arrival in Aotearoa.
Yet OIA data reveals DOC’s budget for bird flu is just $73000. Biosecurity NZ, rather than DOC, is the lead agency regarding bird flu, but $73000 is still a paltry sum.
DOC refused requests for an interview. Terrestrial Biodiversity Director Hilary Aikman said in a statement “It is important to balance using resources to prepare for a threat that might appear in New Zealand in future and doing conservation work to address current threats.
“DOC regularly reprioritises resources within its budgets to respond to various environmental factors, and HPAI is no different in this regard.”
The budget has paid for a vaccine trial alongside purchasing protective equipment for staff. DOC did not answer queries about what further preparation it could do with more funds but stated they expected to increase the budget should bird flu arrive.
It’s an open secret that DOC has always been underfunded—it manages a third of Aotearoa’s land on just 0.44% of its budget.
And like everywhere in the public sector, this year there were mass cost-cutting layoffs at DOC, with 124 fewer jobs now at the department.
South Island Wildlife Hospital vet Pauline Howard was disappointed with the cuts to DOC and the subsequent lack of budget for bird flu, but pointed out DOC’s lack of options with the disease.
“When you look at what this government is doing and how they’ve paired back the Department of Conservation, there’s just no extra money going into DOC,” she said.
“But when bird flu does hit, there isn’t a lot that DOC can do. It's going to rapidly spread around the country, and putting a whole lot of money into it isn't going to solve the problem.” As Aikman pointed out, avian influenza “is not eradicable in wildlife.”
But one of the biggest dangers to birds could be good samaritans.
“If someone picks up a sick bird and carries it away from the area, they've infected the vehicles, the tyres, their hands, anything which touches the bird,” said Howard.
“People will spread bird flu around the country quicker if they pick sick birds up.”
Birds taken to wildlife hospitals showing signs of avian influenza have to be euthanized on the spot, while birds with other problems have to be quarantined for two weeks.
“It’s not a matter of taking birds to the hospital and them getting better,” says Howard. “It doesn’t work like that, unfortunately.”
Chickens and pet birds can be protected by ensuring water sources are clean, chook houses are roofed, and mice and rats are kept out.
If you encounter a bird showing symptoms of avian influenza, please take a video and call Biosecurity New Zealand on their hotline:
0800 80 99 66.
Symptoms include falling over, twisting their neck to look upwards, lethargy, and drooping heads. Three or more dead birds in one area is also reason to contact Biosecurity.
Transmission of bird flu to humans is uncommon but not impossible. However its mortality rate in humans is 52%. Do not touch any bird showing symptoms.