FAWNA calls for South West isolation facility as State’s H5 bird flu count rises

Wildlife carers across the South West say the need for a dedicated quarantine facility and greater government support is urgent, warning the region is ill-equipped to respond to the growing threat of H5 bird flu.

FAWNA president Suzanne Strapp said the South West lacked a dedicated wildlife veterinary triage or high-level isolation facility to manage disease outbreaks, leaving volunteers struggling to respond safely.

“Very soon we could end up with no services for wild birds at all, and that’s because we don’t have a regional wildlife hospital, which I’ve been trying to get forever,” she said.

“DBCA (Department of Biosecurity, Conservation and Attractions) kept saying ‘you don’t need it, you just have to keep reporting them’, and I’m going ‘I don’t think you’re getting the picture’.

“Now, bird flu is here, they’re going, ‘oh, it’s OK, it’s all just come in with the migratory birds, it hasn’t crossed over yet into wild birds’, which it now has in South Australia.”

Since WA’s first H5 bird flu case was detected near Esperance on June 14, Ms Strapp said volunteers had been left waiting for a co-ordinated response that never came.

“We were hoping that DBCA and DPIRD (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) had this amazing rollout, but they don’t,” she said.

“They’re just going back to what they told us a year ago and they keep saying, ‘follow what the Wildlife Disease Association Australasia is recommending’.

“Well, it’s the same recommendation. It’s the same toolbox that we’ve had for two years, and now it’s here. There doesn’t seem to be any change, and it’s all about surveillance.

“Then they admitted they can’t do as much surveillance as they’d like because they don’t have enough people to do it.”

The situation is further complicated by the fact WA’s major wildlife hospitals have indicated they will stop accepting avian patients once bird flu becomes widespread, while commercial veterinary clinics are already limiting wildlife admissions.

WA Seabird Rescue is facing similar challenges.

Volunteer Rachel Olsen said the organisation had built up its own stockpile of personal protective equipment through donations and fundraising, but government support would help ease the burden on volunteers.

“We are prepared to deal with it, even if we don’t get funding from them,” she said.

“We had our first couple of H5 bird flu cases in WA and then we had a really big weather system come in the next weekend.

“So we had loads of pelagic birds, which all had to be treated as potentially infectious, even if they weren’t symptomatic.”

Ms Olsen said her biggest frustration was the lack of a system for collecting and disposing of dead birds.

“The biggest frustration is they’re not collecting the dead birds off the beaches, and they should be collected and they should be disposed of appropriately, incinerated,” she said.

“If there was a proper protocol in place, and there were local places that you could take the bodies, seabird rescue volunteers would be happy to transport them, just for the greater good to get these dead birds off the beaches.

“It’s a public health problem.”

Vasse MLA Libby Mettam, who has written to Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn and Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis, said it was concerning she was yet to receive a response.

“The South West is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot and it is vital that we work collaboratively to ensure we are fully prepared for any future emergency,” she said.

“FAWNA’s existing Ludlow facility presents an ideal opportunity to establish a quarantine facility, but this urgently requires State Government authorisation and funding support.

“FAWNA volunteers work tirelessly caring for and rehabilitating sick wildlife. I support their plans for a wildlife hospital in the future, however, the immediate priority must be a localised triage and isolation solution to handle seasonal influxes and wildlife health crises like bird flu.”

A State Government spokesperson said when a sick or deceased bird is reported to the emergency animal disease hotline, each case is assessed based on factors such as species, the number of animals affected, the location and disease risk.

“Reports are triaged by the DPIRD, with higher-risk cases prioritised for further investigation or testing,” they said.

“DPIRD and DBCA have been working closely with wildlife rehabilitators for several years to strengthen preparedness for the potential arrival of H5 bird flu in Western Australia.

“Personal protective equipment is being made available to licensed wildlife rehabilitators, where they are requested by DPIRD or DBCA to contribute to surveillance efforts by sampling or carcass collection.”

The spokesperson said, Wildlife Health Australia has developed resources to support the sector, providing guidance and protocols to strengthen biosecurity practices and support informed operational decisions during an outbreak.

“Western Australia’s response is being co-ordinated and led by DPIRD, with support from DBCA and other agencies,” they said.

“Surveillance is guided by a nationally endorsed, risk-based plan informed by national bird ecology experts.

“This approach focuses on the species and the locations most at risk and uses reports to the emergency animal disease hotline to inform sampling priorities and broader surveillance efforts.

“The Western Australian Government greatly values the contribution of registered licensed wildlife rehabilitators and will continue working closely with them as part of the State’s co-ordinated response.”

A giant petrel found dead at Lancelin Beach, north of Perth was confirmed on Wednesday as the State’s eighth case of H5 bird flu.