The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) imposed a ban on any birds from Britain attending local gatherings as a precautionary measure on 13 November following confirmation of avian influenza at a turkey farm in Suffolk.
In early December that ban was relaxed to allow birds from areas outside the avian influenza zones in Britain to attend gatherings here. The decision to lift the ban completely was taken following the lifting of the Surveillance and Restricted zones in Britain by Defra.
In addition, the trade restrictions introduced on 13 November 2007, have also been lifted.
General import licences for imports of live poultry and poultry products have been re-instated from Wednesday 19 December 2007, replacing the need for importers to obtain specific import licences. This returns the import position to that before the disease outbreak.
DARD would like to remind all importers, including those of birds attending shows, that they must obtain a copy of the relevant General Import Licence prior to importing poultry and birds from Britain. Importers are advised that the conditions of the licence must be fully adhered to. Copies of the General Import Licences are available for download from the DARD website at www.dardni.gov.uk/ or alternatively they can be obtained by contacting DARD trade section, tel: 028 9052 0989 or 028 9052 0931.
DARD also wishes to remind bird keepers of the requirement to register on the DARD Bird Register, with the exception of caged pet birds kept in the owner’s home. In the next few weeks, DARD will contact everyone registered on the Bird Register to ask them to update their registered details, and to provide a mobile phone number and e-mail address if possible. This will ensure that DARD can communicate with bird keepers quickly in the event of an outbreak here.
Notes to Editors:
- The Defra reports from the investigations into Avian Influenza in Suffolk can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk.
- All media enquiries to DARD Press Office, tel: 028 9052 4619. Out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
