Thursday 13 October 2022

Weekend birdwatching festival cancelled after case of avian flu identified at Martin Mere host venue

A BIRDWATCHING festival planned for the coming weekend has been cancelled.

Organisers of the event scheduled to take place at Martin Mere Wetland Centre on October 15-16 pulled the rug on the event  in the wake of an outbreak of bird flu.

Since last Friday, the centre, run by the Slimbridge-based Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, has been closed indefinitely.  

A statement from the festival team says: "Due to the centre closure, regrettably we are left with no option but to cancel.

"We will be in touch with everyone who has bought tickets to issue refunds. 

"We apologise for the inconvenience and we share the  disappointment that this event cannot go ahead as planned."

Meanwhile, the centre, located at Burscough in Lancashire, has not revealed what species was affected but says it was in one of its "collection birds".

Says a spokesperson: "We are working with the relevant government agencies and are taking measures to prevent the spread of this disease. 

"Protecting the birds in our care and those returning for winter refuge on our reserve is our utmost priority."


No comments:

Post a Comment