Obligation to keep poultry indoors mostly withdrawn

The Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) has decided to repeal the obligation to keep poultry indoors with immediate effect for almost the whole of the Netherlands. However, the requirement to house and screen poultry will remain in force in the Gelderse Vallei and the Limburgse Peel (regions 7, 10 and 19), due to the density of poultry in these regions.

Piet Adema, Minister of LNV: "The repeal of the coop duty is good news for the free-range sector. According to experts, there is no longer a high risk of bird flu in the poultry sector. Finally the chickens can go outside again."

Risk poultry sector low to moderate

The minister made this decision based on new advice from the animal disease expert group. This meets every month to make a new analysis of the bird flu situation. The risk for bird flu in the poultry sector is now estimated to be low throughout the Netherlands if the confinement obligation remains in place and moderate if it is withdrawn. Previously, the risk was moderate to high.

Alertness remains

The requirement to house and screen had been in effect since Oct. 5, 2022. Never before has it been necessary to keep it in place for so long, and never before has the virus circulated so violently and extensively in wild bird populations. For this reason, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality continues to monitor the situation closely. Regular consultations are also taking place with various organizations about the situation in wild birds. The risk of bird flu spreading from poultry to humans (zoonosis) is still small in the Netherlands, according to a recent opinion of the Expert Council on Zoonoses.

Rijksoverheid.nl

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