Pietà clamping down on pigeons

Fears of avian influenza have prompted the Pietà local council to start enforcing a bye-law on the control of pigeons.

Mayor Malcolm Mifsud said the bye-law was introduced about a year ago because of the large number of pigeons in the locality but to date nobody had been prosecuted.

One of the clauses obliges owners of abandoned property in Pietà and Guardamangia to ensure that the property is sealed in a way that no pigeons can get in or out.

In a notice that appeared in newspapers earlier this week, the council pointed out that people who fail to comply with the bye-law may be fined Lm30 or Lm5 per day from the publication of the notice.

Dr Mifsud told The Times the bye-law also lays down that people should not leave food out for pigeons because this is unhygienic and attracts other animals, including rats.

He said Pietà residents have expressed their concern about avian influenza breaking out in Malta and asked about the risks posed by pigeons.

"We are being proactive and asking people to take some measures," he said.

The mayor said discussions were also underway with health and hospital authorities to find a solution to the "big problem" of pigeons at St Luke's Hospital, although the hospital was not subject to the bye-laws.

"We have to take a learned decision after taking professional advice," he said.

Avian influenza has spread from South East Asia to parts of Russia, Turkey and Romania and the local veterinary authorities are on high alert.

Bird flu can be carried by all birds but the most likely to carry and spread it are waterfowl, which are naturally more resistant to the virus. Birds like pigeons and chickens are less resistant and tend to die more quickly.

Mireille Vella, from the Food and Veterinary Division, had told The Times that pigeons could act as a sentinel to indicate that the virus had arrived in Malta.