What communication plans are in place for (a) registered and (b) unregistered bird keepers in the event of an avian influenza control zone …

When a notifiable animal disease is confirmed at a premises by the Scottish Government, the Declaration, which legally confirms the premises as an infected one, and applies disease control zones in the area, is posted on gov.scot. The gov.scot avian influenza webpage is also updated. Specific stakeholder communications are also issued to the relevant local authority, relevant MP and MSPs, and to established industry and sector stakeholders, all of whom are encouraged to share established top lines and information on the outbreak.Registered keepers within the disease controls zones are immediately provided with information on the measures implemented within the zones by text, but then registered keepers in the Protection Zone receive a letter from APHA providing detailed information on the measures in place and are also then visited by APHA to ensure that their birds are healthy. All registered keepers in the Surveillance Zone are contacted by phone by APHA to make similar flock health checks.To supplement these communication routes, an interactive map is available via gov.scot, displaying every disease control zone in GB, and this is further supported by a range of disease control communications that are issued via the Scottish Government X account (@ScotGovRural/Twitter) and Facebook (facebook.com/ScotGovRural), along with guidance from APHA, in the form of a zone-specific social media flyer, on their social media channels and website Animal and Plant Health Agency
- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).In 2024, Scottish Government made it a legal requirement for all poultry and captive birds (with limited exceptions) to register the location of their birds and provide contact keeper details. Keepers are also legally required to update their information on an annual basis, and to report significant changes to their flock within one calendar month.