Last week this announcement was made by the Staes Vet department in Guernsey -
‘Good morning,
There are currently outbreaks of bird flu in wild and kept birds in the UK. This is a reminder to all poultry keepers to remain vigilant and maintain good biosecurity so as to avoid any local outbreaks.
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) with mandatory biosecurity measures was put in place across all of England and Scotland from noon on Saturday 25 January 2025. All bird imports from England and Scotland now require an import licence. An import licence application form can be found here.
In addition to the above, there are regional Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) with mandatory housing and biosecurity measures whereby an import licence will not be granted. Please check the following UK map for further information.
Information on biosecurity and who to report any sightings of dead or sick birds to can be found on https://gov.gg/animalhealth under the bird flu section.
Please let me know if you no longer keep poultry and I can remove you from the register.’
Further details on bird flu can be found here.
Especially during the winter months the GSPCA see increased incidents of possible Avian Bird Flu and confirmed cases being reported across Europe
If you find a sick bird, who you should contact will vary depending on the following circumstances:
- If you find any sick poultry, please contact the States Vets using the contact details on this page.
- If you find any sick wild bird, please contact the GSPCA by calling 01481 257261.
- If you find a dead bird, who you should contact will vary depending on the following circumstances:
- If you find a dead sea bird, garden bird or pigeon on your own property, it is your responsibility to safely collect and dispose of the bird. Guidance on how to do this safely is available in the Avian Influenza Guidance document in the downloads section of this page.
- If you find dead poultry, or a dead bird of prey, please contact the States Vets using the contact details on this page.
- If you find a dead sea bird on the shoreline, please contact States Works by calling 01481 226263.
- If a dead bird has leg rings, please provide the States Vets with the leg ring number, the date that you found the bird and the location where it was found.
Information on Avian Influenza can be found here or in the downloads section of this page.
Please use the form on this link https://gov.gg/animalhealth to register your poultry with the States Veterinary Officers. By holding a register of poultry keepers, the States Veterinary Officers can notify keepers of important developments and directly distribute the latest guidance. Knowing the numbers and locations of poultry on-island will also help the Veterinary Officers in the event of an outbreak. A Fair Processing Notice for how we will use your data can be found in the downloads section of this page.
For any questions, further information or help registering, please contact the States Veterinary Officers at [email protected] or tel: 01481 221161.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said “Sadly each winter in recent years Avian Flu is found throughout Europe.”
“Every day we are called out and receive sick birds and injured birds with 2000-3000 though our doors every year.”
“For those that keep birds outside its really important to keep the food and water away from wild birds to limit the risks and follow the advice, as well as registering your flock if poultry with the States Vet.”
“The GSPCA are preparing currently for what will soon be the BIGGEST BUILD in our history with the largest section being the Wildlife Hospital.”
“We are now well into 2025 and we have many wishes at the GSPCA and to find out more please check out https://www.gspca.org.gg/about/our-plans-wish-list .”
For more information on the States of Guernsey website please visit https://gov.gg/animalhealth and to see the Avian Flu Guidance please visit https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=135242&p=0
To see other posts on Avian Flu please visit https://www.gspca.org.gg/search/node/avian%20flu
Steve continued “For lots of ways to support our work check out https://www.gspca.org.gg/fundraising .”
“To join the team as a volunteer go to https://www.gspca.org.gg/about/volunteers .”
“To see our wish list for lots of ways to help our work including our BIG BUILD please visit https://www.gspca.org.gg/about/our-plans-wish-list .”
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