“Bird Flu
Due to the outbreak of Bird Flu in the Far East stocks of Indian capes and some other feathers are starting to run out.
The ban on shipping of these materials is due to be lifted at the end of September so it is likely that these items will remain out of stock until early next year. Please contact the store for details on availablity.”
I just tried to order turkey biots, quills (for quill bodies) and a few other things from Spirit River. I was told they were backordered indefinitely and bird flu was the reason given. After failing with Spirit River I tried Hareline but the result was the same.
Jeremy
[This message has been edited by JeremyH (edited 09 March 2006).]
Is there a risk in handling feather products that come from countries experiencing outbreaks of avian influenza A (H5N1)?
The U.S. government has determined that there is a risk to handling feather products from countries experiencing outbreaks of H5N1 influenza.
There is currently a ban on the importation of birds and bird products from H5N1-affected countries in Asia and Europe. The regulation states that no person may import or attempt to import any birds (Class Aves), whether dead or alive, or any products derived from birds (including hatching eggs), from the following countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, People’s Republic of China, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam (current as of December 29, 2005). This prohibition does not apply to any person who imports or attempts to import products derived from birds if, as determined by federal officials, such products have been properly processed to render them noninfectious so that they pose no risk of transmitting or carrying H5Nl and which comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements. Therefore, feathers from these countries are banned unless they have been processed to render them noninfectious. Additional information about the import ban is available on the USDA website.
I’m not a “Fear Monger” and I didn’t post this to stir people up but someone also asked this on the Fly Tying Forum. I think it is something that will really affect us.
Kahuna,
You are not a fear monger. I am glad you posted it here. I usually buy from domestic sources but it is good to be informed. Those necks from asia do make good soft hackle flies and folks that use them need to know about this.
About a year ago, I noticed the difficulty in locating certain tying materials. I believe things will only get worse.
Nobody really has a handle on this on going situation, and we are all praying that it does not get worse.
Tie with what you have, or is available. It may come down to, many patterns becoming lore & legend, because of the materials for tying the fly are no longer available.
I am not as concerned about the loss of fly tying supplies due to the bird flu as I am of the possible spread of the flu to where it will transmit from human to human. Also I think I may have hunted my last ducks & geese, a sport I love as much as fly fishing. I hope not.
For those of you who are worried about feathers, I would suggest you stock up while you can. If nothing else the prices will be sure to climb. A trip to the dollar store can get you a bunch of craft feathers which can be dyed and used as a substitute for the original.
What are all those Thailanders doing for feathers, and will the flies they export have the virus? Will the prices for foreign flies go up because the availability has been diminished? Will they be importing all our feathers to keep themselves going? I suspect as has been stated, that the prices will be headed up. If that bug mutates, and becomes communicable, we’ll have a lot more important things to worry about than the price of feathers, I’m afraid. The general concensus of those in the know seems to be that there’s a more than good chance that it will. It would be a real good idea to have a couple of months supply of food, water and other essentials on hand in order to isolate yourselves as much as possible, in the event that it mutates. Safe side, be prepared, all that. Take a look here.
[url=http://www.byui.edu/Safety/Policies/Influenza%20Pandemic.pdf:e63c9]http://www.byui.edu/Safety/Policies/Influenza%20Pandemic.pdf[/url:e63c9]
Lew
[This message has been edited by Lew (edited 09 March 2006).]