A nature reserve outside Magherafelt has reported a preliminary positive result for bird flu in a small number of captive birds. According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) in Northern Ireland, a 3km temporary control zone has been put in place around the reserve in which the movement of poultry, captive birds, and poultry products both into and out of the area has been limited amongst other measures. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has called the preliminary positive results “very disheartening,” and has highlighted the risk that the disease poses to the local poultry sector, which is worth around £0.5 billion to the Northern Ireland economy annually. Muir believes no bird site or poultry premises is immune to the disease, stressing the importance of biosecurity measures for all bird keepers.
Immediate restrictions have been put in place around the site, including the humane culling of originating captive birds and closure of the nature reserve to the public. Chief Veterinary Officer Brian Dooher for Northern Ireland has urged all flock keepers to review and, where necessary, improve their biosecurity measures to prevent further incursions of the disease. If it were to enter the commercial flock, he stated that the impact could be significant on their poultry industry, international trade, and the wider economy, and this was a potential cause of concern.
Previously, in January 2025, cases of bird flu were confirmed in a wild goose found near Dungannon, a buzzard near Moira, and a whooper swan in Portballintrae in Northern Ireland, but there has not been an outbreak in a commercial setting since December 2021. Biosecurity checklists are available on the Daera website, and while restrictions were eased in April 2023 after an outbreak that started in October 2021 and was described as the largest in the British Isles, strict biosecurity measures have stayed in place.
Irish agriculture minister Martin Heydon emphasized the importance of biosecurity for poultry, stating that his officials were in regular and close communication with their counterparts in Northern Ireland. He expressed his support for the poultry farmers and Northern Irish officials and confirmed that the situation was under review
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