A large number of northern pintails, a migratory bird, was recently found dead in a rice paddy that hadn't yet transplanted rice seedlings in Yilan's Zhuangwei Township. The county government investigated, and confirmed it wasn't bird flu. Instead, they ingested toxic paddy rice.
This was the spot in the center of a rice paddy where a northern pintail met its end. A large number of northern pintails, which is a migratory bird, was recently found dead in a rice paddy that hadn't yet transplanted rice seedlings in Yilan's Zhuangwei Township. The county government investigated and determined the deaths weren't caused by bird flu. Instead, it's believed the birds had consumed toxic paddy rice.
Veterinarian: “There were indications that they were poisoned. After they were brought in during the afternoon, they were given a dose of antidote.”
Personnel analyzed carcasses to determine the cause of death. Over 1,000 northern pintails had recently stopped by farmland behind Zhuangwei Junior High School. The county government recovered 14 carcasses. It also found three birds on the verge of dying and is currently treating them.
Farmer: “(Do you spray pesticide before plowing the field in the spring?) Do I first spray pesticide? No, I don't. (You don't.)”
Farmers are currently plowing their fields, but have not yet transplanted rice seedlings. Farmers say they don't spray pesticides on their fields before rice seedlings are transplanted.
Yu Wei-ling, Director, Livestock Section, Agriculture Dept., Yilan County: “The county government requests that farmers appropriately use pesticides during the field plowing period to prevent ecological issues.”
There are also rumors that the birds were deliberately poisoned. The county government will continue its investigation to confirm the cause of death. It also urges farmers to appropriately use pesticides during the field plowing period to avert ecological crises.
一隻尖尾鴨就這樣死在田中央，畫面讓人看了相當難過，宜蘭縣壯圍鄉一處尚未插秧的水稻田，近期被發現有大批冬候鳥尖尾鴨暴斃，經縣府人員檢驗確定非禽流感，疑似是水鳥吃了有毒稻榖導致。
防疫所獸醫表示：「就是中毒的跡象，下午帶回來之後已經給過一次解劑了。」
一排尖尾鴨的屍體，被檢驗人員逐一解剖，要了解確切死亡原因，壯圍國中後方農田最近有上千隻尖尾鴨棲息，縣府近期一共在田中，共撈起14隻尖尾鴨屍體，另還有3隻瀕死活體，目前正在進行解毒搶救，希望能挽救珍貴的生命。
農民說：「（春耕的時候會先灑農藥嗎?)會先灑？不會。 (不會齁。)」
實際走進田區，現在正值春耕時節，但當地還沒有插秧，農民也說，沒插秧之前，是不會撒農藥到田裡的。
宜蘭縣府農業處畜產科長余瑋翎指出：「那在此縣政府也呼籲，在春耕期間也請農民妥善用藥，以免造成生態問題。」
尖尾鴨的確切死亡原因，是否真的是誤食有毒稻榖或有人刻意毒殺，縣府還需要調查，但也呼籲農民，在春耕期間，應妥善用藥，避免生態危機。