Concerns over a potential outbreak of avian flu, have forced organizers to cancel an international bird show at Edmonton’s Farmfair International less than two weeks before it begins.
David Fiddler of Edmonton Northlands said a combination of increased media attention, calls to the office from the public and concerns from the province’s chicken producers combined to force the cancellation of the poultry and exotic bird show that was to be held in early November.
“Our board of directors determined unless there was zero percent risk, it was not a risk they were willing to take with the public,” said Fiddler, who doesn’t know if this spells the end to future poultry shows at the livestock event.
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“We definitely haven’t made that decision to cancel it forever, but we certainly will review it and take it under advisement.
“No organization recommended we cancel, other than the Alberta Chicken Producers,” he said.
While the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu has not been found in Canada, it has devastated poultry flocks in Asia and has recently been found in parts of Europe. In the past two years more than 60 people have died from the virus.
With a variety of exotic birds, ducks, parrots, pigeons, chickens and turkeys coming together from across North America for the event, there was a concern for the safety of the birds and the people who admired them, Fiddler said.
“No one can say there was zero percent risk to the public. We were getting calls from the public that they weren’t going to attend if the birds were there. If that’s the perception, then perception becomes real,” he said.
Most exhibitors were local, with a few registered from the United States.
None raised concerns about potential disease risk to their birds or themselves, Fiddler said.
Tom Makowecki of Namao, Alta., who has taken his racing pigeons to the show in the past, said he’s concerned the board of directors is making its decisions on hype and not science.
“Are we going to be feared into decisions?” said Makowecki. He believes Northlands was instead tired of the show.
This would have been the bird show’s 23rd year and organizers hoped to attract 3,000 pigeons to the international fantail pigeon show. About 2,500 birds were registered in last year’s event.
Gerald Hauer, Alberta’s assistant provincial veterinarian, said the risk of contracting avian influenza from the Edmonton bird show would be extremely low.
“There’s no such thing in the world as zero risk, but there’s an extremely low risk of something like that happening there,” said Hauer.
He said the risk of the virus being transmitted at the show is no different than in previous years.
Alberta Chicken Producers general manager Lloyd Johnson said the Northland’s board made the responsible decision by cancelling the show and possibly keeping the disease out of the country.
“It’s not worth the risk,” said Johnson, about the disease that could wipe out the country’s poultry industry.
“My personal bias is there’s probably more hype than there is fact, in terms of whether you’re going to have a pandemic or not, but prudent precaution is warranted.”
