Wales: Amended Notification Requirements for Poultry and Other Captive Bird Keepers

Coming into force on 1 September 2024, The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 require the keeper of any number of poultry or other captive birds to notify the Welsh Ministers. Previously, the Regulations only required notification of flocks of over 50 birds.

The new Regulations require a person who keeps poultry or other captive birds at any premises must notify the Welsh Ministers in writing of, among others:

• The address and the holding number of the premises
• that person’s name and address
• the species of poultry or other captive birds kept
• the number of birds of each species
• he purpose or purposes for which the birds are kept

Keepers of more than 50 birds must provide additional information.

The parent Regulations to this amendment are the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2006.

This amendment brings the notification requirements for Wales into line with those for England, which amended the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006 by The Exotic Disease (Amendment)(England) Order 2024 which came into force on 25 April 2024. The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures (Scotland) Order 2007 is similarly amended by The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Scotland) (Amendment) Order 2024 and will come into force on 1st September 2024.