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Winter Show Update |
The premier club event of the year, our Winter Show
this year is featuring the Canadian Pigeon Fanciers
Association
Classic Show, along with the return
of the Western Canadian National Show, which was founded in
Vancouver in 1977. Our show an all age, all breeds pigeon,
bantam poultry and waterfowl exhibition, open to both club
members and non members.
This year’s event is located
again in the Ag-Rec Building at the Abbotsford Fairgrounds, Clearbrook, B.C. The
fancy pigeon judge will be Dennis Manning, and our bantam poultry judge
is Ken Cooke. The flying judge will be
announced shortly.
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Snohomish
Fund Raiser |
In what is turning out to be an annual event, Cleve
Potter is hosting a backyard fundraiser at his residence on
April 22, 2006 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The event features a
best bird competition (2 bird maximum entry), trade and swap
area and lunch, all for a US $10 admission. It is a good
opportunity t meet fanciers from the Pacific Northwest outside
of the regular show season. Cleve's address is 1218 - 188 St
NE, Arlington, Washington (take exit 206 off 1-
5)
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Greetings,
Plans
are quickly developing for our winter show this year. For those that have
not heard, we are pleased to be hosting the CPFA National Classic for
2006. In conjunction with this, we are also hosting the Western Canadian
National Show, which is to include a bantam poultry and waterfowl show. I
will continue to be responsible for the pigeon entries, and Murray
McAllister has volunteered to look after the poultry entries. Thanks
Murray!
At this time we are still working on confirming the flying
judge. We also have yet to confirm our hotel and flight accommodations,
for those that require it, as well as details for awards banquet. Details
will be posted to our website as soon as they have been confirmed, so be
sure to visit our website regularly to see what's new for the
show.
Keith
Biggs,
Show Secretary
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Avian influenza - continuing report
Avian influenza is proving to be the most significant
threat our hobby has ever faced. Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic
strain of H5N1 avian flu have now been found in wild bird
populations in over 30 countries, predominantly Asia, Africa and
Europe, and in many cases has spread to domestic poultry.
Avian influenza is a daily news item and topic of
conversation in Europe. Needless to say there is no shortage of
opinion on what should be done, particularly with the recent mad cow
outbreak which resulted in the wholesale slaughter of the U.K. beef
herd, fresh in peoples’ minds. Unfortunately some of the suggested
measures are based more on hype than science, causing pigeon
fanciers throughout Europe to become increasingly angered by what
they call “irresponsible and inaccurate reports by supposed experts
that pigeons could become infected with avian influenza and are a
threat to public health”.
Typical is the situation in the
U.K., which so far has not experienced an avian flu outbreak, where
the Royal Pigeon Racing Association’s Peter Bryant and Dr. Bob
McCracken of the British Veterinary Association are fighting a
public war of words. Bryant says McCracken’s statement, at the start
of the racing season, that pigeon fanciers should keep their birds
indoors were “ill informed commentary and prejudice concerning
racing pigeons”.
The situation is worse in Scotland where Joe
Murphy of the Scottish National Flying Club is battling Dr. Douglas
Fleming of the Royal College of General Practitioners, who has
advised the Scottish government that racing pigeons may have to be
slaughtered to prevent a spread of the virus.
It is worth
watching what’s going on in Europe as we may be faced with the same
problem. The pigeon fancy has cultural and historic significance in
European countries and pigeon associations represent tens of
thousands of fanciers. If they are unable to beat the hype and
suffer show/racing bans or bird culls, it doesn’t bode well for us
in North America.
Speaking of which, the U.S. Interior
Secretary, Gale Norton recently unveiled a plan to begin monitoring
migratory birds for avian flu, stating “it is increasingly likely
that we will detect the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 within U.S.
borders as early as this year”. The early detection plan prioritizes
sampling in Alaska where scientists believe the H5N1 virus currently
effecting Southeast Asia, will most likely be spread to North
America by migrating birds. The testing program and a Canadian
equivalent will continue throughout the year, including down the
Pacific Flyway which includes British Columbia and Washington state,
this fall. Altogether 75,000 to 100,000 live and dead birds will be
tested during migration plus an additional 50,000 birds from high
risk waterfowl habitats.
On the global scene the World Health
Organization recently estimated the current economic cost of avian
influenza at US $10 billion with 300 million farmers livelihood
effected. But it is the World Bank’s estimate of the US $800 billion
cost to the global economy by an avian flu pandemic that is driving
governments and companies world-wide to develop preparedness and
response plans for a pandemic-flu outbreak. Here again hype leads
the way. “Avian flu is on our doorstep... it is very active; it is
very strong; and it is moving very fast” says Sen. Karen Keiser,
prime sponsor of a bill to require local health departments in
Washington state to develop preparedness plans for an avian flu
pandemic. Much is being said and done.. stay tuned for more reports
as things progress.
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| NEXT MEETING |
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Apr. 23, 2006 |
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2:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
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Murray McAllister
23313 - 34A Avenue
Langley, BC
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Please join us at our March
meeting! |
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More
Events | |
| ABOUT US |
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The Vancouver Poultry & Fancy Pigeon Association
is dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of the
breeding and exhibition of fancy pigeons in the Pacific
Northwest. | | | |
