Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Bird gatherings, including poultry sales and the racing of pigeons, are to be allowed to go ahead under general licence.

A temporary EU-wide ban on bird fairs was introduced on 4 November as a precautionary measure against the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

At the time the ban was brought in, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) had introduced a general licence system, which allows certain types of caged birds and pigeon shows to go ahead under the conditions of a DARD licence.

A temporary EU-wide ban on bird fairs was introduced on 4 November as a precautionary measure against the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

At the time the ban was brought in, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) had introduced a general licence system, which allows certain types of caged birds and pigeon shows to go ahead under the conditions of a DARD licence.

The ban has been kept under review and following a further veterinary risk assessment, it is now considered appropriate for the ban in Northern Ireland to be lifted allowing shows, sales, falconry events, and pigeon races within the British Isles (as long as they meet the legislation of the country of release) to go ahead under a departmental general licence.

The new general licence will be for all bird gatherings and will supersede the existing licences for bird shows.

Further details can be found on the DARD website at www.dardni.gov.uk. Event organisers will have to advise their local Divisional Veterinary Office at least three working days in advance that the event is taking place and observe biosecurity measures.