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Action Group Progress Report 01-04-26
At last night’s Action Group meeting a long
discussion took place on how all branches of the fancy from CBSs to
Specialist Clubs to the National Exhibition and sales both small and
large can comply with and implement the current General Licence.
We concluded that the working party’s
documentation prepared on biosecurity measures under the General
Licence was sound and with some minor adjustments, yet to be
finalised, can be implemented across the board.
We agreed that the description of the Bird Expert
given by DEFRA requires no further embellishment but the
responsibilities placed up on the Licensee and the Bird Expert
remain problematic and even unworkable.
Of particular concern are: the involvement of
vets at any but the largest of shows and sales because of their lack
of availability, lack of avian experience, hesitancy to commit to
contingency plans and their high cost; the 14-day isolation period
between shows which is too draconian and disrupts the timetable of
the show season; the implications of a contingency plan which might
lead to a lockdown of indeterminate length.
The meeting resolved to look again at the
conditions of the General licence over the next week and to propose
workable arrangements with which we can comply, which maintain high
welfare standards and low/no risk of spreading disease. These
proposals to be collated centrally and evaluated by the Action Group
at its next meeting. |
