A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens as authorities try to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation’s history.
Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, said the situation is not yet under control.
“Many of the birds are dead in the middle of the water body so it’s difficult for them to be taken out.” he said on Monday.
Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg called the crisis “the most serious damage to wildlife in the history of the country”.
“The extent of the damage is still unclear,” she said on Twitter.
Yaron Michaeli, the spokesman for Hula Lake Park, where the crane population is centred, said workers were removing the carcasses as quickly as possible, fearing they could infect other wildlife.
Dafna Yurista, spokeswoman for the Agriculture Ministry, said half a million chickens in the area were being slaughtered to prevent the disease spreading.
About 500,000 cranes pass through Israel each year on the way to Africa and a small number stay behind, Mr Michaeli said. This year, an estimated 30,000 cranes stayed in Israel for the winter.
Mr Michaeli said it is believed that the cranes were infected by smaller birds that had contact with farms suffering from outbreaks.
Israeli media carried photos of workers in white hazmat suits collecting crane carcasses after the birds were first found to be sick about 10 days ago.
Mr Michaeli said the death toll among cranes appears to have stabilised in recent days.
“This is a good sign,” he said. “They might be starting to get over this. We hope very much.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said officials from the agriculture, environment and health ministries were monitoring the situation. There was no immediate information about infections among people, it said.
The clean-up is going more slowly than expected. “We are trying to see if there’re any other solutions,” Mr Naveh said.
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65
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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