Wildlife conservation plans in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, remain unaffected by the recent outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus in eastern and northern China, officials say.

Lian Junhao, director of the office of wildlife protection and management under the city's forestry and gardening administration, said Guangzhou still plans to set up two more wild and migrant bird sanctuaries before the end of the year.

"Guangzhou has strict quarantines before birds and animals are released back into the wild, and wildlife habitats are sterilized monthly," Lian was quoted as saying by Guangzhou Daily.

"So there is no need to adjust our wildlife plans for Guangzhou," he said.

According to Lian, Haizhu and Baiyun lakes in the Haizhu and Baiyun districts will become sanctuaries for wild or migrating birds this year.

Various areas in the southern metropolis - which has warm weather and many wetlands and forest parks - are considered ideal habitats for wild birds in the winter. Large numbers of migrant birds from northern China stop in the city.

"No wildlife has been found dead or sick since last fall in any of the city's 19 monitoring stations, located in urban areas and the outskirts of the city," added Lian who is an expert in wildlife protection.

To prevent the H7N9 virus from spreading in Guangdong - which borders Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions - the province's department of forestry has issued an emergency notice to city departments to expand patrols and immediately isolate any area where sick or dead wild birds or poultry are found.

By the end of Wednesday, Guangdong had reported no H7N9 bird flu cases, according to sources at Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Yang Chuanyun, deputy general manager of the Nansha wetland park, located at the mouth of the Pearl River, said more than 1,000 tourists arrive daily to watch wild birds.

"There have been no reports of tourist groups canceling their visits to the wetland out of fear for the H7N9 virus," Yang said.

"The park has proved to be safe. Our personnel carry out inspections, and the necessary sterilizing measures have been carried out every week since the outbreak started."

Hu Huijian, a researcher at South China Research Institute of Endangered Animals, said people will not be infected with H7N9 or other bird flu strains unless they have close contact with birds or eat wild bird.

"Results have also shown that wild ducks and geese play an important role in controlling the growth of wild water lettuce and other aquatic plants in the wetland parks in Guangzhou's Panyu district," he said.

But Guangzhou's plan to attract wildlife and bird watchers to the city has been controversial among some experts and residents, including Wang Yingyong, the deputy director of the Biological Museum under Guangzhou-based Sun Yatsen University.

"The plan should be canceled. With more than 15 million residents, Guangzhou is densely populated, and there is a high risk when wildlife is attracted to urban areas," Wang said. "Testing personnel have found highly pathogenic bird flu viruses in kestrels, black-headed gulls, spotted doves and other wild birds in the city."

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/18/2013 page7)