The outbreak of Avian Influenza amongst wild seabirds in the Western Cape has seen an estimated 21172 dead birds with 13195 birds dying on Dyer Island off Gansbaai. The Cape Cormorant remains most affected with 20558 dead Cape Cormorants recorded to date.

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The outbreak of Avian Influenza amongst wild seabirds in the Western Cape continues, with Dyer island in the Overberg that continues to be the biggest problem area.

The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre is aware of reports of dead and dying seals in several areas across the West Coast of the province. Between Laaiplek and Dwarskersbos in the Bergrivier Municipality region, 144 seals were buried this morning with another fifty at Elandsbaai.

The Western Cape has just emerged from, in some areas, up to an eight-year drought cycle. This is linked to bigger global oceanic and climatic conditions. The poor rainfall resulted in low freshwater flows in the rivers and very little freshwater reaching the estuaries which are the receiving environment of the freshwater flows left in the rivers after abstraction and use in the catchment.