In a momentous week, effective lobbying by fanciers looks to have saved bird shows and sales in Scotland. Meanwhile Defra has finally published its follow up to last year’s consultation on registration and now promises a public awareness campaign here’s an interim summary of the new developments.
Rob Innes writes
Bird gatherings in Scotland on March 15 GL EXD 178 (AI)(S) was updated. This GL governs events including bird shows and sales in Scotland. For those who bring non galliforme birds (everything except poultry and game birds) to an event, Defra registration is now recommended not mandatory.
The same GL update removes the requirement for a vet to be present at a gathering of non-galliforme birds. A vet must be “available to attend at short notice. All birds must be examined prior to entry by a named person who knows how to identify and report signs of notifiable avian disease.
These crucial changes were made to the GL after direct lobbying of MSP’s and of APHA’s chief vet in Scotland Dr. Josephine Holbrook. The fancy owes thanks to Donald Skinner- Read, Ryan Wood and Sandy Innes (sorry for any inadvertent omissions) for their initiative and perseverance.
DEFRA REGISTRATION
On March19, DEFRA Released a summary response to last year’s consultation on registration.
The new document makes it clear that registration is not yet required by law.
But registration for all birds [with certain exemptions] will be made legally compulsory from September 1 2024. Bird keepers will have until October 1 2024 to comply.
Pet birds in domestic dwellings will not need to be registered.
“Psittacines [including budgies] and passerines [songbirds, both hardbills and softbills] Kept in a dedicated ‘bird house’ without any access to the outside area” will not need to be registered. The new law will clarify exactly what’s meant here, Defra informs us.
It appears that Defra has adopted the consultation argument put by Cage and Aviary Birds and the fancy that “effectively, secure bird rooms ARE ‘domestic dwellings’” so that exhibition birds in a birdroom are deemed of negligible risk.
More news, comment and advice will follow in future issues of Cage and Aviary Birds.
Published and reproduced with the permission of Cage & Aviary Bird Kelsey Media
Page 6 issue 6309 March 27 2024.
