Each year, volunteers rescue abandoned puffin chicks in colonies breeding in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  This year the campaign has been suspended following high mortality in a variety of sea birds caused by H5N1 avian influenza. Based on the potential danger of exposure of volunteers to H5N1 virus, it was decided as a precautionary measure to suspend the chick-rescue program.

Witless Bay on the Avalon Peninsula of the Province is the epicenter of puffin breeding with 265,000 pairs congregating each year. The Avalon Peninsula was impacted by HPAI strain H5N1 in January 2022.