More than 7,000 seabirds have died from bird flu at what has been described as 'precious colonies' across the UK, the National Trust has confirmed.

These include areas around the Pembrokeshire Coast where hundreds of dead wild birds have been recently found washed up on the beaches.

Other seabird colonies affected include Cemlyn in Anglesey, Brownsea off the south coast of Dorset, Long Nanny on the Northumberland Coast and sections of the eastern and northern coasts of Northern Ireland.

The birds are being regularly removed, although more are being washed up between the clear-ups. Most are guillemots, although razorbills and gannets have also been reported.

Removing the seabirds as soon as they’re found does seem to make a difference, however there remains little solid guidance on how to prevent a long-term impact on some populations, particularly those species which are already struggling due to other pressures including climate change. These include the Arctic tern, and seabirds such as puffins which only lay one egg and fledge one chick per year.

A multi-agency response is currently in place in Pembrokeshire to deal with the issue between Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, National Trust Cymru, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and the Welsh Government.

Lisa Morgan from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said: “It is really important that members of the public don’t touch dead or sick birds but also that they help us to understand the conservation impacts on our internationally important seabird populations by continuing to report any they might find.”

Rhian Sula, National Trust Cymru’s General Manager for Pembrokeshire added: “We are saddened by the discovery of dead birds across some of the beaches we care for in Pembrokeshire.

“We know it's distressing for people to see sick and dead birds and will continue to work closely with partner organisations and government agencies to monitor the situation.”

While no Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is currently in place, the Welsh Government's advice is that bird keepers should continue to complete the biosecurity self-assessment checklist.

UK chief vet Christine Middlemiss said: “We recognise that the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza poses a significant threat to the UK’s wild bird populations and share the concerns about the impact on breeding populations, particularly seabirds that nest closely in large numbers.

“Dealing with disease in wild mammals that are frequently on the move is extremely difficult globally but we have been working very closely with partners on this issue since the impacts on wild birds started to become apparent, and we keep the outbreak in these populations under close review.”

Dead birds in public places should be reported by calling 01437 764551 (or out of hours 0345 601 5522) for Pembrokeshire County Council to arrange to collect safely.

Dead birds on private land should be reported to PCC on the numbers above for information gathering purposes and to DEFRA on 03459 33 55 77.