The importation of live birds, poultry, and poultry products from the United Kingdom (UK) has been temporarily suspended.
Chief Veterinary Officer from Veterinary Services, Dr. Mark Trotman, has issued a ban on poultry, and poultry products from the UK, due to confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza virus, commonly referred to as “bird flu”.
Dr. Trotman said, “Although there have been no human cases of the outbreak, this virus has the potential to infect humans. As with most diseases that are not present in this area, the best protection is strengthening quarantine measures,” he noted, stating that these will be implemented with immediate effect. They are:
- Personal (passenger) imports of all fresh or cooked poultry products, with the exception of fully-cooked products in hermetically sealed packages, are also restricted.
- Effective immediately, no further permits or licences for the importation of the restricted commodities will be issued. Permits already issued up until 31st October 2022 will be honoured.
- Only fully cooked poultry products in hermetically sealed packages (cans) will be permitted.
Dr. Trotman added that these restrictions do not apply to commercial imports of processed poultry products accompanied by an official veterinary export health certificate, attesting that the products have been processed to ensure the destruction of the avian influenza virus. These products include:
- Processed (heat-treated) egg and poultry meat products
- Heat-treated poultry meat products in a hermetically sealed container
- Extruded dry pet food and coated ingredients after extrusion;
- Rendered meat-and-bone meal, blood meal, feather meal, and poultry oil;
- Washed and steam-dried feathers and down from poultry and other birds.
The Veterinary Services will continue to monitor the developing situation of this disease and issue updates to the public as necessary.