BIRDKEEPERS within a 3km zone placed around a home in St Martin are required to keep their birds cooped up, following confirmed cases of bird flu in a small flock of chickens.
Two of the affected birds at the house died suddenly on Monday, with the three remaining chickens in the flock humanely culled on Wednesday.
A 3km radius ‘protection zone’ has been introduced around the Archirondel area to stop the spread of avian influenza or ‘bird flu’.
By law, all domestic birds within the zone must be kept inside enclosures with impermeable roofs and sides.
Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf has also declared a surveillance zone across the rest of the Island, highly recommending that birds are housed and that additional biosecurity measures are taken.
The full rules and restrictions for both zones are available here.
The new measures mark the first time such restrictions have been in place in Jersey since October last year.
Deputy Renouf said: ‘Ongoing surveillance testing of wild birds in Jersey had not detected avian influenza this year, with the last positive being the flock of greylag geese in St Ouen back in November. It is, therefore, a surprise to hear the sudden news that the virus has reappeared here this summer.
‘Bird flu spreads when infected wild birds mix with domestic poultry, which can lead to mass mortalities in our flocks. That’s why we need all keepers in the protection zone to house their birds, and we’re recommending all keepers across the Island do the same too as a precautionary and preventative measure.’
The minister added: ‘I urge keepers to take action to help reduce the chances of a larger outbreak. Good biosecurity measures are, as always, key to preventing the spread of viruses, and we’d encourage owners to use disinfectant baths to clean their footwear at the entrance to units. Domestic bird food, water, and bedding should be kept away from wild birds.’
The government’s Public Health team have confirmed that the risk to the general public is considered to be very low.
Those who come across wild birds that have died suddenly and without an obvious explanation can report them to the Natural Environment team via an online form.
Birdkeepers must immediately report any suspected symptoms of avian influenza in their own flocks to Natural Environment on 441600.
