GAMEBIRDS – UPDATED GUIDANCE ON CATCHING STOCK OVER WINTER
GAMEBIRDS – UPDATED GUIDANCE ON CATCHING STOCK OVER WINTER
- Following the recent high challenge level from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), DEFRA have put in place additional precautionary measures around the movement of caught up gamebirds in areas where bird flu is present.
- DEFRA have outlined their approach to gamebirds in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales.
- The latest Gamebird Risk Assessment sets out the risk levels associated with the spread of this year’s strain of HPAI H5N1 and the catching up process.
- The risk assessment confirms that at present, while avian influenza virus continues to circulate in wild birds across GB at unprecedented levels, the catching up and movement of wild gamebirds could include infected birds.
- New rules will mean that recently caught up birds cannot be moved for 21 days while an AIPZ is in place. This will minimise the risk of spreading infection to new premises.
- Under biosecurity rules, keepers are responsible for all kept birds and those already showing visible signs of infection should be reported to APHA.
- Prior to release, gamebirds are classified as kept poultry. However once gamebirds have been released (pop holes opened or roofs of pens removed), they are classed as wild birds from a disease control perspective and the person who released them is no longer classed as the keeper.
- It remains illegal to catch up gamebirds in England after the 1st February.
