Abstract Title
A Proposal for Increasing Local Capacity for Monitoring, Early Detection, Reporting, and Action to Reduce HPAI risk at Key Sites and Wild Bird Populations in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway
Abstract
Understanding the distribution, dynamics and behavior of migratory waterbirds is essential to predicting future spread of HPAI and developing mitigation measures for both wild birds and domestic poultry at local and global scales. Here we develop an approach addressing this issue for a specific flyway through an existing institutional framework for international cooperation.
The East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) brings together forty government and non-government partners in 22 countries along the flyway to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats. EAAFP has designated a network of sites along the flyway to conserve priority waterbird (including seabird) populations from Alaska and Arctic Russia to Australia and New Zealand. Monitoring at these sites offers a significant potential for better understanding migratory waterbird dynamics and patterns of behavior, as well as potential for early detection of potential HPAI outbreaks. The project concept will identify a priority list of highly vulnerable site and wild bird species then develop materials for monitoring, early detection and reporting of HPAI outbreaks. It will also develop and disseminate best practices for increased biosecurity of wetlands in addition to better understanding and monitoring behavior of wild birds in case of outbreaks. The goals are to improve communication and trust between authorities responsible for agricultural operations and local and national bird and habitat conservation groups, develop a flyway-wide network of experts and site managers, improve surveillance and testing proclivity for wild birds, and improve reporting of HPAI outbreaks and data sharing between countries along the east Asian-Australasian flyway.
The East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) brings together forty government and non-government partners in 22 countries along the flyway to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats. EAAFP has designated a network of sites along the flyway to conserve priority waterbird (including seabird) populations from Alaska and Arctic Russia to Australia and New Zealand. Monitoring at these sites offers a significant potential for better understanding migratory waterbird dynamics and patterns of behavior, as well as potential for early detection of potential HPAI outbreaks. The project concept will identify a priority list of highly vulnerable site and wild bird species then develop materials for monitoring, early detection and reporting of HPAI outbreaks. It will also develop and disseminate best practices for increased biosecurity of wetlands in addition to better understanding and monitoring behavior of wild birds in case of outbreaks. The goals are to improve communication and trust between authorities responsible for agricultural operations and local and national bird and habitat conservation groups, develop a flyway-wide network of experts and site managers, improve surveillance and testing proclivity for wild birds, and improve reporting of HPAI outbreaks and data sharing between countries along the east Asian-Australasian flyway.
Co-Author(s)
Avian Diseases Working Group of East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership
Abstract Category
Mortality estimations, impacts on harvest, conservation considerations, and potential mitigation strategies in wild birds