Rotherham Council is urging all poultry, game and captive bird keepers to ensure they are aware of new legal requirements - whether they keep birds commercially or as pets.
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been declared following recent confirmed cases of H5N8 avian flu in England, in captive and wild birds. This introduces a legal requirement for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures to help prevent the disease spreading to more birds.
Bird keepers across England, Wales and Scotland must:
- Ensure that areas where birds are kept are unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources.
- Feed and water birds in enclosed areas to discourage wild birds.
- Minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures.
- Clean and disinfect footwear, and keep areas where birds live clean and tidy.
- Reduce any existing contamination by cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas, and by fencing off wet or boggy areas.
Keepers with more than 500 birds will also need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles will need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly.
Rotherham Council’s Assistant Director of Community Safety and Street Scene, Tom Smith, said: “Whether you keep a few birds in your back garden or are running a large-scale commercial operation – you’re now legally required to take these additional biosecurity standards. Indeed, it’s in your own interest to protect your birds by taking measures to prevent the spread of this highly infectious disease.
“However Public Health England has confirmed the risk to the public is very low, and the Food Standards Agency advises that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.”
Poultry keepers and members of the public should report dead wild birds to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77, and keepers should report suspicion of disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301.
The prevention zone will be kept under regular review by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as it monitors the threat of bird flu.
Keepers should familiarise themselves with Defra’s detailed avian flu advice at www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu
