Poultry movement restrictions set to be lifted in last 'surveillance zone'

The last "surveillance zone" for Avian Influenza is set to be lifted from this Saturday, the Department for Agriculture has announced.

An area of County Monaghan and a small part of the North comprised the last remaining 'Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza' surveillance zone. This means that there will no longer be movement restrictions on poultry within the zone, however a Department spokesperson emphasised that "the country is still in the high-risk period for Avian Influenza (AI) and will remain so until the end of April".

"Wild bird fatalities continue to be reported with wild birds continuing to test positive for AI across the country," they added.

The precautionary confinement and biosecurity measures introduced by the Department in November 2021 to protect the poultry industry, will remain in force. These include the requirement to confine of all poultry or captive birds such that wild birds and other animals do not have access to them and the application of stringent bio-security measures for poultry and other captive birds, as well as a ban on the assembly of birds.

Deputy Niamh Smyth welcomed today's announcement saying, ''I would strongly encourage all keepers of poultry to continue to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity to protect their flocks and to report any suspicion of disease to their local regional veterinary office.''