Azores government urged to disclose details on dead pigeon outbreak

The Bloco de Esquerda (BE) in the Azores submitted a formal request to the regional government demanding urgent clarification about a recent surge of dead pigeons reported on the islands of Terceira and Graciosa. The party criticised the absence of concrete official data, noting that the only public communication is an informational note from the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food, which confirms laboratory examinations but reports inconclusive results and omits a date, the number of incidents, specifics of the analyses, and a timeline for pending results.

BE’s request asks the government to provide the exact number of dead pigeons identified, the dates of the first occurrences, details of all analyses performed and their outcomes, the diagnostic hypotheses considered, any records of dead collared doves, the surveillance measures currently in place, and the guidance issued to municipalities and health services. The party also questions why the note lacked a date and was not published through the usual official channels. Deputy António Lima stressed that transparency, responsible institutional communication, and timely public access to information are essential duties of public entities, especially when public health concerns arise.