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Disease Prevention and Monitoring in Captive-Reared
Waterfowl for Release into The Wild
Presented to the North Carolina Wildlife Commission on May 13, 2004
Prepared by: Gary L. Pearson, D.V.M.
Copyright © 2011 South Carolina Waterfowl Association. All rights reserved
Introduction
The release of captive-reared waterfowl for sporting purposes has been practiced throughout the world for centuries and it has become increasingly popular in the United States since the 1960s as huntable populations of wild waterfowl have declined in many areas (Reiger, 2001). Although both Federal and State wildlife agencies have participated in the propagation and release of captive-reared waterfowl for research, restoration and/or sporting purposes, concerns have been expressed in recent years about the potential for the release of captive-reared waterfowl to introduce diseases into wild waterfowl populations, increase hybridization with wild waterfowl species whose populations are declining, and skew wild waterfowl population data (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1993). Because the potential for disease transmission to wild waterfowl has been the primary concern expressed with the release of captive-reared waterfowl (Division of Migratory Bird Management, 2002), the issue merits further examination.
