GWCT News Blog

On Monday 9th January 2023 the National Avian Influenza Protection Zones (AIPZ’s) that cover England, Scotland and Wales, were all amended to include new mandatory requirements for those who catch-up gamebirds (pheasants, partridges or ducks). Here is an overview of these new legal obligations and some frequently asked questions about the practice of catching-up.

Defra has published a risk assessment focussing on the risks of transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from released gamebirds to wild birds during the summer 2022 period when HPAI was at unprecedented levels in captive and wild birds.