The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Risk assessment and imposition of restrictions

4.—(1) The Department shall evaluate the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus (in particular virus of the subtype H5N1) from wild birds to poultry or other captive birds in Northern Ireland, taking into account the criteria and risk factors set out in Annex I to the Commission Decision.

(2) Having carried out such an evaluation, the Department shall, if it considers it necessary to reduce the risk of transmission of avian influenza (in particular virus of the subtype H5N1)—

(a) declare an avian influenza prevention zone in all or part of Northern Ireland; and

(b) serve a restrictions notice on the occupier of any premises where poultry, other captive birds or any specified species of poultry or captive birds are kept.

(3) The Department shall, in a declaration of an avian influenza prevention zone under paragraph (2)(a) or in a restrictions notice, impose to the extent that they are appropriate and practicable, such of the following requirements as it considers necessary—

(a) poultry and other captive birds must be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds;

(b) domestic ducks and geese must be housed or otherwise kept separate from other poultry and other captive birds;

(c) poultry and other captive birds must be fed and provided with drinking water indoors or under a shelter which prevents wild birds from gaining access to the food or water supply;

(d) bodies of water to which poultry have access for animal welfare reasons must be sufficiently screened off from wild waterfowl;

(e) drinking water provided to poultry and other captive birds must not be sourced from surface water reservoirs unless the water has been treated to render any virus it may contain inactive;

(f) birds of the orders Anseriformes (including ducks, geese and swans) and Charadriiformes (including gulls, murres, terns, avocets, puffins, woodcock, oystercatchers, sandpipers, plovers, surfbirds, snipes and skimmers) must not be used as decoys during bird-hunting except—

(i) for the purpose of attracting birds for sampling as part of the 2005 avian influenza survey; and

(ii) under the authority of a licence issued by the Department;

(g) keepers of poultry or other captive birds must immediately notify the Department of the following as regards any flock of such birds—

(i) any drop in feed and water intake of more than 20%;

(ii) any drop in egg production of more than 5% for more than 2 days;

(iii) a mortality rate greater than 3% in a week;

(h) keepers of poultry and other captive birds and any other persons who come into contact with such birds or who enter or leave premises where they are kept must take appropriate biosecurity measures;

(i) such other appropriate and practicable requirements as the Department considers necessary—

(i) to prevent any direct or indirect contact which wild birds might otherwise have with poultry and other captive birds; and

(ii) to ensure separation between domestic ducks and geese on the one hand and other poultry on the other.

(4) A declaration of an avian influenza prevention zone under paragraph (2)(a) shall—

(a) specify the boundaries of the avian influenza prevention zone; and

(b) specify the restrictions or requirements which apply in the zone.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6) any premises which are partly inside and partly outside an avian influenza prevention zone shall be deemed to be wholly within it.

(6) Nothing in paragraph (5) should deem any part of a premises outside Northern Ireland to be within an avian influenza prevention zone.

(7) A person to whom restrictions or requirements in a declaration or a notice under these Regulations apply shall comply with such restrictions or requirements, except to the extent that he is authorised to do otherwise by a licence issued by the Department.