It could take 15 years for UK gannet colonies to recover from bird flu.

Gannet populations in two of the world’s largest colonies are not expected to recover from the effects of the 2022 bird flu pandemic for two decades.

New research from the RSPB has found that seabirds at Bass Rock on the east coast of Scotland and Grassholm on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales suffered an “unprecedented fatal blow” during the outbreak.

It caused a fourfold increase in adult gannet mortality, a 26% decline in Bass Rock colony size and a 38% decline in Grassholm.

While the outbreak is known to have killed tens of thousands of birds, the study warns that colonies will not fully recover from the damage until 2041, according to the European calendar.