New laws in scotland regarding avian flu and pheasants

[Utectok]

As per below

“Note: Although being issued to a wide stakeholder audience, this general advice is particularly pertinent to those involved with game birds in Scotland.

Dear Stakeholder

As you will be aware, due to an increased risk of incursion of avian influenza (bird flu) for wild birds, poultry and captive birds within the UK, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was declared by Scottish Ministers, covering the whole of Scotland, on 11 November 2020. Similar legislation was enacted across all UK administrations.

Subsequently, measures that made it a legal requirement for all poultry and other captive birds to be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds, and for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease, were implemented on 14 December 2020.

Following feedback from stakeholders and government colleagues, and in light of recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza within the UK, we recognised a need to issue the following important outbreak-specific advice to all involved with gamebirds in Scotland.

The legal requirement to house all poultry or captive birds in the UK includes caught-up game birds. The aim of this requirement is to segregate poultry and captive birds, such as caught up game birds, from wild birds as much as is possible to reduce the risk of infection. Information and guidance on the housing of captive birds can be found at Biosecurity Guidance.

A further biosecurity measure integral to the legal restrictions applied, and key to reducing the risk of onward spread, is the removal of the General Licence permitting bird gatherings, and it is important to stress that bird gathering events include the catching-up of wild game birds, to which the following restrictions apply:

- The catching-up of wild birds, where they come from multiple locations, but are then moved to a single location is still permitted under law. However,

- The catching-up of wild birds, where they come from multiple locations to a single location
and are then moved onwards to different premises is not permitted under law, due to the general licence normally permitting this activity being withdrawn.

- It is also permitted to catch-up and bring birds together from different locations provided no birds leave until more than 13 days have passed since the last bird arrived on the premises.

However, there is a high risk that birds gathered from the wild could be infected with avian influenza, and by gathering them up and bringing them back to a farm/shoot/estate, this could infect the birds that are already there. Caught up pheasants are defined as poultry. Therefore, if disease is confirmed, this would result in a new infected premises. It is on this basis that all catching up activities are not recommended whilst the AIPZ measures are still in effect.

It should be noted that this is general advice for those whose activities do not fall within Protection and Surveillance Zones associated with an outbreak premises, within which specific legal regulations apply.

Avian influenza is a notifiable disease by law. If you find a single dead bird of prey, gull or wildfowl species (particularly wild geese, wild ducks, swans), or find five or more birds of any other species in the same location and at the same time, please report these incidents to Defra’s national telephone helpline (03459 33 55 77 – please select option 7).

Know the signs of bird flu in kept birds, which include loss of appetite, swollen heads, respiratory problems and multiple unexpected deaths. Involve your vet if you suspect bird flu, or call
your local APHA office.

Bird flu and its consequences can certainly impact game management and shooting, but it is also true that game managers and shooters are in a good position to detect and report outbreaks. Please be vigilant and report any concerns.

Scottish Government guidance on avian influenza can be found at:
www.gov.scot/avianinfluenza

You may wish to pass this information on to your members as appropriate.

Thank you.

Chris Bain, Policy Officer

Chris Bain | Disease Control Branch | Animal Health and Welfare Division | Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Economy
Scottish Government | P Spur | Saughton House | Broomhouse Drive | Edinburgh | EH11 “

 

[Utectok]

Dear Stakeholder

Subject: Avian influenza - case of disease confirmed in kept gamebirds in Leven, Glenrothes.

Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Sheila Voas, has confirmed that a flock of kept birds from a gamebird rearing premises in Leven, Glenrothes has tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1). Further tests to establish the pathogenicity of disease are underway.

In order to limit the further spread of disease, appropriate restrictions have been imposed, and 3 km and 10 km temporary control zones have been set up around the infected premises. Within these zones a range of different controls are now in place. These include restrictions on the movement of poultry, carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure. The remaining birds at the premises will be humanely culled.

These gamebirds have never been wild and so can only have caught avian influenza on the establishment.

Public health advice is that the risk to human health from the virus is very low and food standards bodies advise that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers, and it does not affect the consumption of poultry products including eggs.

Producers and bird keepers are reminded that they are legally required to comply with the order to house birds that came in to effect, as part of an Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ), on 14 December 2020, and to follow biosecurity procedures, regardless of the number of birds being kept. Keepers who are concerned about the health or welfare of their flock should seek veterinary advice immediately. Your private vet, or your local Animal and Plant Health Agency office, will also be able to provide practical advice on keeping your birds safe from infection.

In light of evidence from the continent and ongoing high numbers of findings among wild bird populations in GB, the risk of incursion of avian influenza has been increased to very high for wild birds, medium for poultry with high biosecurity, and high for poultry with poor biosecurity.

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease and the public are being asked to remain vigilant and report any findings of dead wild birds. Any dead wild swans, geese, ducks or gulls, falcons or other birds of prey, or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, should be reported to the Defra dead wild bird helpline (03459 33 55 77 - please select option 7).

Further advice for keepers can be found at avian flu advice and a cross-Government and industry poster outlining biosecurity advice can be downloaded.