Sir, - It has been confirmed that a pheasant breeding farm was the culprit in the latest outbreak of Newcastle Disease in Northern Ireland. This should set the alarm bells ringing in our own Department of Agriculture.Game birds can fly over and back across the Border at will and can't be stopped at checkpoints! There is nothing to prevent them from coming down here and spreading infection in the Republic.The Government should order a massive clampdown on gun-clubs involved in the breeding of game birds. Pheasants intended for driven shoots are kept in intensive, unhygienic conditions. This activity has no economic value, the sole purpose being the preparation of each bird for what amounts to ritual execution.The stresses induced by an overcrowded environment predispose the birds to attack by a wide variety of ailments. Aside from Newcastle Disease, there are viral and bacterial diseases which are highly contagious. Infectious sinusitis causes severe swelling under the eyes, impairing vision. Infectious synovitis causes swollen joints and lameness. Deaths of adult breeding pheasants due to coronavirus nephrosis have become more widespread in recent years.As a matter of urgency, all gun clubs should be compelled to vaccinate captive birds. But this measure alone will not be sufficient to address the problem. The Government must face down the field-sports lobby and suspend the upcoming duck and pheasant shooting seasons. These activities can only exacerbate the threat posed by Newcastle Disease. The hunters may cry foul (or fowl?), but such a ban would be a small price to pay for safeguarding our £400 million poultry industry. Yours, etc.,From JOHN FITZGERALD,Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports, Callan, Co Kilkenny.