WA’s threatened black cockatoos next species to be vaccinated from bird flu

West Australia’s threatened black cockatoos will be the next species vaccinated from H5N1 bird flu under a federal government response to the deadly virus.

WA has been the latest jurisdiction to identify species to be vaccinated after a $2 million program launched by the Agriculture Minister Julie Collins earlier this week.

Ms Collins provided the update in Question Time on Thursday afternoon and said that WA’s decision to nominate the black cockatoo came after Victoria had identified little penguins off Phillip Island and St Kilda on Wednesday.

“The West Australian government has today announced a vaccination trial on threatened black cockatoos at the zoo,” she said.

“So, this will focus on three species: the Carnaby’s, the Baudin’s, and the Forest Red-tailed black cockatoos.”

The vaccinations of WA birds in captivity is part of a national rollout of 1500 vials.

The Minister directed states and territories on Monday to provide lists of the native bird species they would like to prioritise for the emergency H5 jabs.

Ms Collins also said Tasmania’s state laboratory had returned its first positive result for H5 bird flu in samples from a brown skua found at Rocky Cape.

“We have sent samples to the CSIRO lab testing, and will provide an update to the public as soon as these results do become available,” she said.

“If confirmed, this would be the first confirmed case of H5 bird flu in Tasmania, and that will be six states that then have the bird flu in Australia.

“This is of course not unexpected, and I know that it’s disappointing, but it is a sign that our biosecurity system is working and our detection system is also working.”

“I want to reiterate that there is no evidence of any detection of the H5 bird flu in our poultry or agricultural systems, and that the risk to human health remains low.

“I also want to thank the Australian public for reporting sick and dead birds at birdflu.gov.au.”