58119 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for Biosecurity

58119 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for Biosecurity: How, if at all, are migratory birds being monitored for avian flu?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: I am advised the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) exotic pest and disease notification system allows every member of the public to notify any suspected avian influenza cases on 0800 80 99 66 or online at https://report.mpi.govt.nz/pest/. Every notification is triaged by incursion investigation veterinarians, and where needed, samples are collected and tested. Notifications are received from all over New Zealand and for all types of birds, including migratory birds. There is also an annual sampling and testing programme at sites where migratory and non-migratory waterfowl congregate run in collaboration with Fish & Game New Zealand; monitoring and awareness with New Zealand's wildlife hospitals, poultry industry groups, veterinarians, and wildlife rehabilitation centres and we are working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) on any suspected exotic diseases in wild bird populations and encouraging reporting of any suspected cases to MPI’s exotic pest and disease hotline. Additionally, from September 2023 to September 2024, MPI contracted Dunedin Wildlife Hospital to collect swabs from inpatient migratory birds. None of the samples were positive for HPAI. The Department of Conservation and Otago University also sampled over 1000 birds from subantarctic islands in 2023/2024 and no HPAI was detected in these birds.