Bird flu (avian influenza) movement licences
Use a licence to move poultry, poultry by-products, eggs, material or mammals in, out or within a bird flu disease zone.
In bird flu disease zones, certain movements of poultry, other captive birds, eggs, poultry products or materials associated with their keeping, or mammals from or to premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept, are not permitted. This is to control further disease spread.
Some low risk activities or movements are possible, provided that all conditions of the general licence are met by the person responsible. If it is not possible to meet the conditions, or if the activity or movement is not covered by a general licence, you can apply for a specific licence.
Check what zone you’re in on the bird flu disease zone map.
Find all bird flu cases and disease control zones in England.
You can apply for licences for some low risk movements from any protection zone or surveillance zones currently in force.
Licences for the movement within or from the captive bird (monitoring) controlled zones currently in force are not required.
General licences
General licences allow a movement or activity that would otherwise be prohibited in a bird flu disease zone. You need to check that you meet and comply with the conditions of the general licence. If you do, you do not need to apply for a specific licence. You can rely on the general licence as providing authority for the movement or activity.
General licences are not applicable for the movement of anything to or from premises which have been served a restriction notice by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
The following general licences are available in Great Britain:
Meat from poultry within a protection zone in England and Wales
To reduce animal health risks, food business operators have to follow specific rules for any meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating within a protection zone. Other poultry meat (from poultry not originating within the protection zone) is unaffected.
Meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating within a protection zone can be moved or sold, subject to several conditions. These include a requirement that the health mark is replaced with a specific mark which must remain with it throughout any processing or repackaging. These conditions are set out in General Licence EXD249(HPAI)(EW).
Under some specific circumstances – set out in General Licence EXD 264(HPAI)(EW) – the recipient of poultry meat is permitted to remove the specific mark temporarily for production, and in some circumstance not to re-apply it.
The legal requirements are set out in each general licence.
Specific licences
Specific licences cover a movement or activity in a bird flu disease zone when not covered by a general licence. A specific licence will normally allow a one-off movement and will be subject to strict conditions based on disease control risk.