Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of seabird conservation in preventing outbreaks of avian influenza in UK seabird populations.

The United Kingdom’s seabirds are an important part of our natural heritage, and we continue to support actions to address the range of threats they are facing. We recognise the significant threat posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the United Kingdom’s seabird populations and the role conservation can play in increasing the resilience of seabird populations in the face of avian influenza outbreaks.

Defra has commissioned Natural England to assess the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and to propose actions to address them. We will work closely with stakeholders to understand the best way to implement and prioritise these actions in early 2023.

Defra is working with Joint Nature Conservation Committee to establish an Advisory Group to advise, recommend actions and develop guidance on minimising the impact of HPAI on wild bird populations in England and Wales and recovering populations.