Avian Botulism - Henley Lake
Masterton District Council is very aware of the impact the bacterium Clostridium botulinum is having on the waterfowl and fish population at Henley Lake. This is a naturally-occurring organism and the environmental conditions throughout the country this summer have seen a significant rise in local, regional and national outbreaks of Avian Botulism.
As the disease is spread through consumption of contaminated maggots, the best way to break the cycle is to act swiftly to remove dead or severely affected birds and fish before maggots appear and are eaten by other birds.
The Council has tasked its parks contractor to carry out increased surveillance and proactive removals. Warning signage has also been installed.
We appreciate witnessing the impact on wildlife can be distressing and motivates some members of the community to take action themselves, but our preferred approach is that this work is carried out by our contractors. This ensures recommended MPI disposal methods are followed, which also plays a part in breaking the cycle of infection.
Although the risk to humans is low, personal protective measures should always be taken when handling infected birds or fish.
