More than 500 public land management staff and volunteers have increased their knowledge of H5 bird flu to help strengthen the response across Victoria.
Surveillance and sampling training for public land managers has been delivered to land managers involved in detecting, reporting and collecting samples from deceased wildlife, particularly marine mammals and seabirds. This will enable individuals across more areas of Victoria to contribute to sampling requirements as surveillance efforts increase.
Agriculture Victoria delivered information on a range of topics including response, risks and protections, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sampling procedures during 10 sessions across metropolitan and regional locations including Colac, Anglesea, Tidal River, Orbost, Benalla, Knox and Horsham
Parks Victoria, Victorian Fisheries Authority, Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority, Traditional Owner groups and other partner agencies took part in the training sessions last month.
Coastal land managers and frontline staff and volunteers in areas where migratory and native birds converge have assisted with reporting dozens of suspected bird flu cases already. This training will ensure that those working on the ground responding to H5 bird flu have the information they need to keep themselves and their local community safe.
