AQW 24988/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 01/11/2021
Answered On Date: 15/11/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what advice his Department has issued to poultry farmers and pet bird keepers following confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in Worcestershire, England.

Answer:

My Department works closely with a wide range of industry representatives on the measures needed to prevent the spread of Avian Influenza into and within Northern Ireland.

Specifically, the DAERA website and social media sites are continually being updated to reflect the most current situation. Using these channels we widely publicise media messages urging industry to take all possible biosecurity measures to protect their flocks.

In addition, my Department delivers a text alert service for all bird keepers to receive immediate notifications of disease outbreaks or other important disease information.

A biosecurity checklist is also available to aid flock keepers in the review of their biosecurity arrangements via the website. This has been shared widely with stakeholders.

Following the confirmation of HPAI H5N1 in Worcestershire, my officials facilitated a poultry stakeholder meeting on 27 October to inform them of the GB case and to encourage the dissemination of key biosecurity messaging through their organisations to poultry producers and bird keepers. Further updates have since been issued to stakeholders by email correspondence.

A text alert was sent out to all members on 27 October alerting them that Avian Influenza H5N1 had been confirmed in Worcestershire and that a Veterinary Risk Assessment was ongoing to determine pathogenicity. It also advised that disease control zones had been instated around the infected premises. A further text was sent on 28th October encouraging bird keepers to complete the Department’s online biosecurity checklist, to which a link was included.

My officials will continue to engage with stakeholders as required throughout the avian influenza season, in order to provide regular updates on the Department’s actions, to reinforce key biosecurity messaging and to seek feedback on our approach as the situation develops.

My Department continues to deliver a sustained campaign across all available communication channels, in collaboration with industry, to inform and educate poultry owners and bird keepers on the most recent outbreaks and wild bird findings both within the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and the biosecurity measures they should be implementing to help protect their flocks.