The Government hopes to prevent the episode from 2020 from being repeated, when the bird flu had spread rapidly in the southwestern farms, after the passage of migratory birds carrying the virus.
Le Monde with AFP
High outdoor poultry in France will have to have a confined winter again. The level of risk relating to avian influenza has just passed to the “high” stage in metropolis, According to an order published on the official journal , with an immediate entry into force.
When the level of risk is such, commercial farms must “shelter” poultry, but also individuals, at least by installing a net above their lower court, to avoid anything Contact with contaminated migratory birds.
Poultry gatherings, for example for competitions, are prohibited, as well as pigeon pigeon competitions “at the start or arrival of France until March 31”, announces the Ministry of Agriculture in a communiqué . In the zoos, the birds can not be confined or placed under thread should be vaccinated.
The Government hopes to prevent the episode from last winter repeated, when the highly pathogenic avian influenza had spread as a trail of powder in the southwestern farms. It could only be stopped at the price of slaughter of more than 3.5 million poultry, mainly ducks.
“Three low-courses”
“Since the beginning of August, 130 cases or homemakers of avian influenza have been detected in wildlife or livestock in Europe, including by the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, of which Three homes in German farms “, lists the Ministry of Agriculture in a communiqué . “At the same time, the claustration of all professional farms has been decided in the Netherlands as a result of the detection of a fireplace in a breeding of laying hens. In Italy, six homes were detected in turkey farms. of flesh in the region of Verona since 19 October, “continues the ministry.
Cases have also been detected in France, but only in non-professional farms, which makes it possible to maintain the “unscathed” status of influenza that conditions export opportunities. French cases concern “three contaminated low-courses” in the Ardennes and in the Aisne, reminds the department.
The level of risk had been raised on September 10 to move on to “moderate”. The breeders located in nearly 6,000 municipalities had to confine their poultry, especially along the Atlantic facade and the Rhodanian hallway – wetlands taken by migratory birds.
Professionals had already moved from this measure, some even claiming that they did not send their poultry. They feel that it is contrary to the “meaning” of their profession of breeder in the open air and that they “deceive” the consumer who plebiscites the “outdoor” mention on the labels.
“Our mode of breeding is not questioned, it is exaggerated,” said last week Bernard Tauzia, President of the Farm Poultry Union (Synalaaf) and Landes Breeder, the most affected department last year by the epizootic.
The locking of poultry used to evolve outside occurs at a time when these farms are turning full, before the end-of-year holidays in which are consumed turkey, caps and foie fat.