Dutch plan to allow poultry outdoors from May 1

Dutch plan to allow poultry outdoors from May 1 10 Apr 2006 12:27:19 GMT Source: Reuters

AMSTERDAM, April 10 (Reuters) - The Dutch Agriculture Ministry plans to lift an order on May 1 on keeping poultry and other birds indoors, introduced to protect flocks from the threat of avian flu from migrating birds, it said on Monday.

"The peak period for bird migration is almost over," a ministry spokeswoman said.

"We will review the situation once again at the end of April and if it hasn't changed, meaning that there is no bird flu outbreak or disease being found in wild birds, we will lift the requirement (to keep poultry indoors)," she said.

The Netherlands, a top world poultry exporter and Europe's second biggest producer after France, ordered birds indoors on February 20 as the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu strain was found in several European Union countries.

Scientists have suggested that migratory birds play an important role in the spread of the H5N1 virus, which originated in Asia and has killed over 100 people worldwide so far.

The Dutch ministry said it will reintroduce the measure at the end of August or September when the next migratory period will start. The measure will apply for free ranging birds which have not been vaccinated, the spokeswoman said.

The Netherlands launched preventive vaccination last month for its 1-3 million backyard poultry and about 5 million free-range poultry against H5N1 avian flu virus.

But many Dutch farmers are choosing to wait because they fear a negative effect on exports as some countries refuse to buy meat and eggs from vaccinated animals due to consumers fear of possible health risk.

Preventive vaccination is voluntary throughout the Netherlands and an alternative to the requirement that birds be kept indoors to avoid contact with wild birds.