AI – Light at the end of the Tunnel?
Many people have already asked me what is going to happen next season. Let me cut to the chase. Of course without knowing what the autumn, winter and spring brings in relation to AI outbreaks it is impossible to say. However, I have continued to press DEFRA for a wash up meeting to discuss what happened in 2006, what went right and what both they and us could improve on. DEFRA appears a little reluctant to meet with the pigeon fraternity at the present as they want to see the effects of the migration so are suggesting a November/December meeting. However in discussing a forthcoming meeting my contact has said that perhaps they were a little rigorous this year and I feel therefore that there is a real opportunity to secure long distance racing from France. Of course this will greatly depend on what the French Government say and do and what outbreaks there are but I am heartened that at least it will be more of a negotiated point next year.
The plan of action is therefore we will continue to consult with DEFRA. It is important to keep the communication channels open. I was at a meeting of the Alliance of Specialist clubs recently, which was a very constructive meeting, in which all the clubs present told me exactly what they would like to see in 2007. “Back to normal French racing” so no surprises there! I know that race programmes will want to be finalised as best they can before Christmas in most cases. What the Alliance would like to see, and which I totally concur, is DEFRA issuing a general licence for pigeon racing from France and the UK and if this needs to change because of an outbreak we can fall back to plan B. I have therefore discussed with DEFRA the opportunity of me submitting to them a revised set of licence conditions that can form the basis of further talks. I know that a lot of fanciers and clubs were extremely upset at the 400 mile limit set by DEFRA. So there is the first point and also the 7 day isolation is another. I will of course keep you posted on progress but in the interim I would recommend that you consider a continental race programme for 2007 from May but with an internal programme as a back up. We will really be pushing for the licence to stay operative to enable those few young bird races too. I have also mentioned to DEFRA the financial loss to clubs and my contact was quite surprised at some of the figures I mentioned. It is important to bring to the attention DEFRA these sorts of statistics. I have asked the specialist clubs for examples of their loss of income during 2006. Frankly they cannot afford another season like it. The same is true of the RPRA. Ring sales, transfers, continental racing income is all down and there is no doubt that the RPRA at the Reddings will finish the year well in the red. These 3 areas alone account for a deficit of nearly £26,000.
More AI Research
Gordon Chalmers has recently submitted a new paper on AI and racing pigeons which contained good news and bad news. The bad news was that pigeons infected with HPAI under laboratory conditions died of the disease. However, the good news outweighs the bad and they did not pass AI on to other poultry or pigeons involved with the experiment and that the virus only affected their brains rather than other tissues of poultry.
One other line of investigation I am following is the very reason that DEFRA kept us to 400 miles. You may recall that Gordon Chalmers had stated in one of his research papers that although pigeons were low risk, low risk did not mean no risk and they could transmit the virus by mechanical means on their feet. Thus, DEFRA concluded, if a pigeon stopped at an infected area in France they could bring the virus back on their feet. Well surprise, surprise. Earlier this year DEFRA published a risk assessment for public parks and open waters in the UK. In it they state that bird faeces are usually semi liquid which bind the viral particles. The number of viable virus particles in these faeces will rapidly start to fall under the effects of drying. Direct contact with dried faecal material is not likely to be hazardous. Well it doesn’t take a scientist to conclude that if a healthy British racing pigeon was to step in infected faeces in France, by the time the racing pigeon had flown back to the UK (what’s that, approximately an hour to the south coast?) then given the exposure to airborne wind the faeces will have dried during a channel crossing. Surely this is an area that now blows DEFRA’s argument then for a 400 miles limit right out the water. I have asked Gordon Chalmers for assistance to prove this and he has put me in touch with 2 international vets that may be able to help. Once I have collated some more evidence this will also be put to DEFRA. Thank you to Mick Johnson for drawing this to my attention.
Peter Bryant
General Manager
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association
