In the summer of 2023, a catastrophic number of gulls died in northern Norway due to an epidemic of birdflu. In the city of Vadsø alone, about 11,000 dead birds were found and recorded.

All responsibility for removing the dead birds was given to the municipalities. However, it is not yet possibleto remove all dead gulls. Many birds that were not recorded have disappeared elsewhere.

Residents were allowed to wrap them in plastic bags and dispose of them in rubbish bins. In some towns,fire services helped remove dead birds from residential rooftops.A significant portion of the gull population is rapidly disappearing and continues to die out.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the system to cope with environmental disasters, which are largelycaused by human activities, leading to the climate crisis and the spread of new viruses and their strains.

Climate change is changing the migration routes of many birds. Species that previously had little contactare encountering each other in new migratory areas. As a result, different strains of avian influenza arecoming into contact with each other. There is an increased risk of new hybrid strains arising from themixing of avian, swine and human influenza genomes.

Due to climate change and the destruction of ecosystems, humanity faces an unprecedented threat of newpandemics.