On 3 December 2007, a regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development dated 1 December 2007 on measures related to the outbreak of avian influenza (Journal of Laws No. 225, item 1665) was announced and entered into force.

The regulation introduces the following prohibitions and requirements:

  • a ban on organizing fairs, exhibitions, shows and competitions involving live birds
  • a ban on storing and displaying live birds for sale, offering them for sale, selling them, delivering them and disposing of them in any manner at marketplaces
  • a ban on keeping live hens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, ostriches and other ratites, pigeons, pheasants and partridges in open spaces
  • a ban on watering poultry with water from reservoirs accessible to wild birds
  • a requirement to isolate ducks and geese from other poultry.

In implementing the provision of the regulation concerning the ban on keeping hens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, ostriches and other ratites, pigeons, pheasants and partridges in open spaces, the flock owned must be secured so that it cannot come into contact with wild birds:

  • hens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, ostriches and other ratites, pheasants and partridges must be kept in livestock buildings
  • if a livestock building has an outdoor run, it must be secured in such a way that poultry using the run cannot come into contact with wild birds (the run should be fenced, and feeding and watering should take place inside the livestock buildings). If securing the run in this way is impossible, the poultry should remain inside the livestock building
  • pigeons must be kept closed inside rooms used for keeping or breeding pigeons.

Failure to comply with the above prohibitions is subject to criminal sanctions specified in Article 78(2) of the Act of 11 March 2004 on the Protection of Animal Health and Combating Infectious Animal Diseases (Journal of Laws No. 69, item 625, as amended): a fine, restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 3 years.

(information from the Powiat Veterinary Officer/GA)