The Avian Influenza (H5N1 in Poultry) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Restrictions on the movement of poultry and other captive birds

10.—(1) A person shall not move any poultry or other captive bird from a restricted zone to an unrestricted area, other member State or third country except under the authority of and in accordance with the conditions of a licence granted by the Department.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the movement of—

(a) a bird, other than poultry, reared or kept in captivity as a pet; or

(b) any other captive bird to an approved body.

(3) The Department may licence the following movements—

(a) poultry directly to a designated slaughterhouse;

(b) poultry directly to any premises in an unrestricted area, if the Department is satisfied that they will be kept there for 21 days from their date of arrival;

(c) poultry to a designated premises in Great Britain, another member State or to a third country, if—

(i) there is agreement between the Department and the competent authority,

(ii) no other poultry are kept on the designated premises,

(iii) the premises are kept under official control, and

(iv) the poultry remain for 21 days from their date of arrival;

(d) day-old chicks to any premises in an unrestricted area;

(e) other captive birds to any premises in an unrestricted area.

(4) The Department must ensure that veterinary surveillance is carried out at any premises to which day-old chicks are moved under paragraph (3)(d) for such period as it considers necessary.

(5) Paragraph (4) does not apply if the day-old chicks so moved were hatched—

(a) from eggs, situated on day of collection in Area B, from a designated hatchery in a restricted zone where the Department is satisfied that poultry have tested negative in a serological survey for avian influenza capable of detecting 5% prevalence of disease with at least a 95% level of confidence; or

(b) from eggs—

(i) from premises which, on the date the eggs were collected, were in an unrestricted area, and

(ii) which were transported from those premises in new disposable packaging or in disinfected packaging.

(6) The occupier of premises to which poultry are moved under paragraph (3)(b) must ensure that no poultry are moved off the premises for at least 21 days from the date the poultry so moved arrived there.

(7) Vehicles used to transport poultry and day-old chicks in paragraph (3) must be cleansed and disinfected immediately before and after use.

(8) In this regulation—

(a) “day-old chicks” means—

(i) poultry less than 72 hours old which have not yet fed, or

(ii) muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) and their crosses which are less than 72 hours old, whether or not fed;

and

(b) “slaughterhouse” means premises used for slaughtering poultry, the meat of which is intended for human consumption.