A call for trained wildlife volunteers and rescue charities to be given special government clearance to remove swans killed by bird flu from Norfolk's waterways has been made in Parliament.
Environment minister Mark Spencer acknowledged Norfolk is at the "epicentre" of the bird flu crisis, but did not commit to giving the go-ahead for volunteers to help clear up the bodies of dead birds.
Norfolk has had more than 40 confirmed cases of avian flu since the start of October, forcing the culls of hundreds of thousands of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.
But wild birds have also been affected, with dozens of dead swans found on the Norfolk Broads.
Teams from Marine and Wildlife Rescue (MWR) and the RSPCA are using vessels to search the waterways for severely-ill birds.
But Defra advice to the general public is to leave corpses alone and report findings - and there are concerns not enough is being done by the government to clear away the birds which have perished.
North Norfolk Conservative MP Duncan Baker raised the issue in the House of Commons on Tuesday (November 1).
Mr Baker said there had been "multiple reports" of deaths of wild birds, including swans, which are still lying in the water of rivers and broads.
He said: "The Environment Agency are struggling to cope and there appears to be very little consideration for the wild bird deaths.
"Can I ask that trained wildlife volunteers and rescue charities are given the necessary and special permissions to help with this emergency and given special legal clearance to assist with the clear-up operation?"
Mr Spencer replied that: "Norfolk and North Essex, as well as Suffolk, are at the epicentre of this and have been under a housing order for some time.
"There are some challenges in identifying where the disease is spreading and certainly members of the public can help by reporting sightings of dead birds to make sure we are tracking where the disease is spreading."
But he did not answer the question about whether he would grant the necessary permissions Mr Baker sought for charities or volunteers.
The UK Health Security Agency advises that the risk to public health from bird flu is very low.
But Defra advises not to touch dead or visibly sick birds and to report any to report cases on 03459 33 55 77.
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