Crushing East Lothian photos show Bass Rock gannet colony devastated by Avian flu

AuthorJacob Farr
Published date16 June 2022
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
In the images supplied, a drastic change in the numbers nesting and caring for their young on the Rock can be seen

This has caused great concern amongst those working to understand the gannets and their colony.

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As a result the Seabird Centre in North Berwick has now suspended all its specialist photography landing trips on the Bass Rock for the foreseeable future.

They hope that this will reduce the level of disturbance for the remaining colony on the rock and to help stem the risk of further spreading the disease.

However, wildlife boat trips around the islands and to the Isle of May will be allowed to continue.

Tourists and visitors will still be able to take in a variety of seabirds breeding on the local islands and will also be able to learn about the immense pressures facing seabirds and what the public must do to protect them.

Susan Davies, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre said: "Avian flu has been confirmed by testing in several gannets that were found dead along the East Lothian coastline – stretching from Portobello to Dunbar.

"These birds are from the world's largest northern gannet colony on the Bass Rock in East Lothian which is widely recognised as an amazing wildlife spectacle.

"Each day the story unfolds further on the island. Patches within the colony, which would have been packed tightly with noisy and boisterous gannets sharing the responsibility of protecting their precious eggs and feeding young chicks (gugas), are becoming more sparsely occupied as each day passes.

"We feel powerless. We can only watch and monitor the passage of the disease as it spreads through the colony.

"We need resources to undertake survey work – including by drone – in the coming weeks. This will enable us to get a better handle...

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