Find out here what local avian influenza restrictions mean for your business, including what activities are prohibited and information on licensing.

When Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is confirmed in poultry, the government will impose a 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone around the infected premises (IP). If Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza is confirmed in poultry, a smaller 1km Restricted Zone will be declared around the infected premises.

If Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is confirmed in non-poultry captive birds, the government may implement a Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone around the IP following a risk assessment. 

Temporary Control Zones are declared when Avian Influenza has been confirmed but further tests are ongoing to determine the pathogenicity of the strain. The restrictions applied in the Temporary Control Zones will be detailed in the ‘Movement controls and licences’ section of Defra’s Avian Influenza page. Please note that any general licences that have been issued will not be applicable in Temporary Control Zones and individual movement licences will need to be applied for.

The latest information on any current outbreaks and full details on restrictions can be found on the Gov.uk website.

If any part of your holding falls within a zone under restriction then you must follow all restrictions applied to that zone across the whole site. If parts of a single holding are in two separate zones then the whole of the site is considered to be in the zone with the highest level of restriction. 

You can check if you are under restriction by using the APHA’s interactive map.

Within a Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone you must:

• Keep poultry and other captive birds housed inside their buildings.  If this is impractical or significantly detrimental to welfare, then a veterinary inspector may direct you to isolate birds without housing them.
• Record any individuals visiting the premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept. Exceptions include zoos or wildlife parks (providing the public has no access to areas where birds are kept) and on public rights of way.  An example visitor logbook can be downloaded from the Red Tractor website.
• Keep a record of all poultry or poultry eggs entering or leaving premises within the zone, except where eggs are being moved direct to retail premises or onwards from such premises.
• Adhere to strict biosecurity on and off the farm and follow any additional measures as directed by a veterinary inspector.
• Not allow the collection of poultry together for any fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering within the Zone.
• Not release game birds.
• Ensure appropriate biosecurity measures are in place for people and vehicles entering or leaving premises where poultry, other captive birds or eggs are kept – disinfectants must be from the approved list.
• Ensure anyone who moves any poultry, other captive bird, meat, feed, manure, slurry, litter or any other thing which may be contaminated cleanses and disinfects the vehicle and any equipment used to transport that thing as soon as it is unloaded.

Please note, movement licences are not required for movements into or out of a Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone, unless the movement starts or finishes in a Restricted, Protection or Surveillance Zone. 

Within a LPAI 1km Restricted Zone you must:

• Not move poultry meat, litter, eggs, other livestock or animals within or outside of the zone unless under licence. Table eggs may be sent direct to wholesale or retail premises without a licence.
• Ensure appropriate biosecurity measures are in place for people and vehicles entering or leaving premises where poultry, other captive birds or eggs are kept – disinfectants must be from the approved list.
• Not permit any poultry or captive birds to be exhibited at any fair, market, show, or gathering.
• Not release game birds.
• Ensure that all carcasses that are not seized or disposed of by a veterinary inspector are disposed of in accordance with their instructions.
• Ensure anyone who moves any poultry, other captive bird, meat, feed, manure, slurry, litter or any other thing which may be contaminated cleanses and disinfects the vehicle and any equipment used to transport that thing as soon as it is unloaded.

Within a HPAI 3km Protection Zone you must:

• Keep poultry and other captive birds housed inside their buildings. If this is impractical or significantly detrimental to welfare, then a veterinary inspector may direct you to isolate birds without housing them.
• Ensure that all carcasses that are not seized or disposed of by a veterinary inspector are disposed of in accordance with their instructions.
• Adhere to strict biosecurity on and off the farm and follow any additional measures as directed by a veterinary inspector.
• Also follow the controls listed for the 10km surveillance zone below.

Within a HPAI 10km Surveillance Zone you must:

• Not move poultry, other captive birds or mammals (including pigs and cattle) to or from premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept (exceptions apply for pet animals) unless under licence.
• Not move poultry meat, litter, eggs, other livestock or animals within or outside of the zone unless under licence. Table eggs may be sent direct to wholesale or retail premises or sold from the farm gate direct to members of the public without a licence.
• Pack any eggs going to a designated packing centre in disposable packaging.
• Record any individuals visiting the premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept. Exceptions include zoos or wildlife parks (providing the public has no access to areas where birds are kept) and on public rights of way.  An example visitor logbook can be downloaded from the Red Tractor website.
• Keep a record of all poultry or poultry eggs entering or leaving premises within the zone, except where eggs are being moved direct to retail premises or onwards from such premises.
• Ensure appropriate biosecurity measures are in place for people and vehicles entering or leaving premises where poultry, other captive birds or eggs are kept – disinfectants must be from the approved list.
• Ensure anyone who moves any poultry, other captive bird, meat, feed, manure, slurry, litter or any other thing which may be contaminated cleanses and disinfects the vehicle and any equipment used to transport that thing as soon as it is unloaded.
• Not remove or spread poultry litter, manure or slurry unless under licence.
• Not permit any poultry or captive birds to be exhibited at any fair, market, show, or gathering.
• Not release game birds.

Anyone involved in the transport or marketing of poultry or poultry eggs must also make a record of those that are transported or marketed.

Licensing

If your premises are in a Protection Zone, Surveillance Zone or Restricted Zone, a movement licence will be required for certain activities. Movement licences can be obtained from the APHA by calling 03000 200 301 or by emailing b3V0YnJlYWsubGljZW5zaW5nQGFwaGEuZ292LnVr. 

General licences allow a movement or activity that would otherwise be prohibited in England and Wales. You need to check that you meet and comply with the conditions of the general licence. If you do so, you do not need to apply - you can rely on the general licence as providing authority for the movement or activity.

So far general licences have been issued for the following activities (please note these are not valid for movements in or out of a Temporary Control Zone or Restricted Zone; individual movement licences will be required):

• Movement of table eggs within or out of a Protection or Surveillance Zone
• Spreading on premises or movement of used poultry litter, poultry manure and poultry slurry originating from premises in a Protection or Surveillance Zone
• Movement of poultry carcases for disposal from premises in a Protection Zone
• Movement of poultry meat from poultry originating in a Protection Zone or an area that subsequently becomes a Protection Zone
• Movement of mammals from or to premises in the Protection or Surveillance Zone where poultry or other captive birds are kept
• Removal of the meat mark applied to certain poultry meat for the purposes of processing or repacking
• Movement of samples for salmonella testing from premises in the Protection Zone or Surveillance Zone
• Movement of poultry by products and hatching eggs for disposal from premises in a Protection or Surveillance Zone
• Movement of horses for the purposes of exercise from a premises in the Surveillance Zone where poultry or other captive birds are kept
• Movement of Captive Birds (other than poultry) from a premises located in an area free of restrictions or in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone to a premises located within a Surveillance or Protection Zone in England
• Movement of mammals (except equines) on foot from and returning to the same premises in the Protection or Surveillance Zone where poultry or other captive birds are kept

No general licences have been issued for the Restricted Zones declared around confirmed cases of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Full details and a copy of each licence can be obtained from the gov.uk website

Unless covered by a general licence, poultry keepers will need to apply to the APHA for individual movement licences. Please ensure you give the APHA as much notice as possible as it can take time to issue licences. The APHA is likely to receive high volumes of licence requests so contingency plans should be arranged in case there is any delay in licensing.

The following movements of poultry or poultry products will need to be licensed by a veterinary inspector:

• Poultry from premises in the zone for immediate slaughter at a designated slaughterhouse
• Poultry meat
• Poultry to a designated slaughterhouse in the zone from premises outside the zone
• Day-old chicks hatched from eggs produced in the zone or from eggs which came into contact with such eggs
• Day-old chicks hatched from eggs originating outside the protection zone
• Ready-to-lay poultry to premises or part of premises where no poultry are kept
• Hatching eggs from the zone to a designated hatchery or premises
• Eggs to a designated egg packing centre
• Eggs to an egg processing plant
• Eggs for disposal
• Carcasses for disposal or diagnosis

Members should check with their processor or egg packer whether they are designated to receive live birds, meat, or eggs from farms within a Restricted, Protection, or Surveillance Zone, and have their designation details to hand when applying for movement licences.

Unless your holding is under individual site-specific restrictions, feed can be brought onto the premises without a licence as long as the requirements for cleansing and disinfection within your Zone are met.

If you have any licensing queries, or aren’t sure whether or not you need a licence, contact the APHA with your query by telephone on 03000 200 301 or by email on b3V0YnJlYWsubGljZW5zaW5nQGFwaGEuZ292LnVr

♦ Click here for the latest information from Defra on movement controls and licences.

♦ Download Defra's guide to biosecurity and preventing welfare impacts in poultry and captive birds - advice for all poultry keepers (including game birds, waterfowl, and pet birds) 

More information:

• Highly Pathogenic H5N8 Avian Influenza confirmed in UK
• Poultry housing order lifted: What you need to know
• In case you missed it: Avian Influenza webinar featuring CVO Christine Middlemiss
• Avian influenza cases rise in Europe
• Read the latest news and advice on the NFU’s avian influenza pages
• Download the NFU’s guide to avian influenza here
• The latest avian influenza updates from Defra can be found here