South Australia’s premier agricultural show will be without bird and poultry exhibits after organisers decided to cancel those events amid rising cases of H5 bird flu.
The Royal Adelaide Show is scheduled to be held from Saturday, September 5 until Sunday, September 13.
The SA government said there had now been 119 confirmed cases in the state — up from 58 at the start of the week.
The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia chief executive Will Rayner said the decision to cancel the bird competitions was out of caution.
“While we think the risk is very low, we took the decision now out of an abundance of caution to make sure that our volunteers and exhibitors had as much time to prepare as possible,” he said.
Will Rayner announces bird competitions are cancelled at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show. (ABC News)
Mr Rayner said the decision would impact about 150 exhibitors, volunteers and stewards in the poultry and bird section in particular.
“We know that numbers were already about 20 per cent down anyway, so people were sort of self-regulating and didn’t want to bring their birds and animals in this environment,” he said.
“The advice from the relevant authorities was wide-ranging about how we could best reduce the risk in the show.
“Ultimately, we felt at the show we couldn’t comply with everything they were asking to do, and so we took this decision and we took it now so we gave people lots of opportunity to respond, rather than doing it in the throngs of the show.”
The Royal Adelaide Show will not have bird competitions this year. (ABC News: Bethanie Alderson)
Mr Rayner was asked about when exhibitors had been notified, and replied “about two minutes ago”.
He said there were more than 26,000 competitive entries at the show and that birds were a “small part” of the overall program.
“They understand that this is part and parcel of being a farmer or having animals in agriculture — you’ve got to deal with the extremities we’ve got, either in climate or in biosecurity,” he said.
“I don’t think this will be any surprise to them. There’ll be some people disappointed but we’ll have lots of other small furry animals for people to look at at the show.”
South Australia’s bird flu cases comprise more than three quarters of the national total of 155.
The government said the SA figure did not include deaths from a mass mortality event at Baudin Rocks near Robe.
Support for show’s decision
The Department for Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) said it was working with organisers of other country shows to manage risk.
“We know that H5 is currently in wild seabirds,” biosecurity executive director Georgie Cornish said.
“It isn’t yet in poultry — we’re very clear on that with people. We also know this is a moving feast.”
Environment Minister Emily Bourke said the state government backed the Royal Adelaide Show’s stance.
She said in the past 18 days the number of H5 cases in South Australia had increased from just five to almost 120.
“The Royal Adelaide Show took the difficult, but we think appropriate, decision to cancel our bird shows and exhibitions at this year’s show,” she said.
“Animal welfare and biosecurity is something that we take very seriously.”
SA Environment Minister Emily Bourke says the total number of cases in SA has gone from five to 119 in less than three weeks. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Regional show goes on, without poultry
While only one dead bird with H5 bird flu has been found at Port Lincoln on Eyre Peninsula, locals have been eager to avoid risks.
Organisers of the Port Lincoln Show, which is scheduled for Sunday, have decided to withdraw chooks, ducks and geese.
Port Lincoln Show poultry convener Simon Drewitt says the show has taken a precautionary approach. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)
“We’ve taken the precautionary approach because if this gets into the poultry we know how devastating it’s going to be,” poultry convener Simon Drewitt said.
“When it came into the news, we go, ‘Oh yeah, it’s fine, it’s not close. It’s in the wild birds and it’s down in the Antarctica’ — and now all of a sudden it’s on our doorstep.
“We don’t want to bring it home to our flocks.”
Poultry exhibitor Tojo Mullan said he was comfortable with keeping his prized birds at home this weekend at Yeelanna.
Poultry exhibitor Tojo Mullan will keep his prized birds at home. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)
“I’d be 99 per cent sure we’d be safe but it’s not worth the risk to go to Lincoln with the chooks and show them and come home and bang, wipe them all out,” Mr Mullan said.
“I think it’s a sensible decision, there’s just so much money involved with the stock — acquiring it, breeding it, keeping them, you just don’t want to lose them.”
Mr Mullan said he would still take along his pigeons, which remain permitted at the show.
Entires for the pigeon category are down by about two thirds and entrants are required to quarantine their birds after the event.
