Departments meet to discuss avian influenza

Discussions have taken place today between north and south government departments on various approaches to counter avian influenza.

Veterinary and scientific experts from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Belfast and the Department of Agriculture and Food in Dublin discussed their respective approaches to the threat of avian influenza.

In particular, the meeting focused on the measures both Departments have been putting in place to increase their respective levels of wild bird surveillance. The meeting also had the benefit of ornithological advice from wildlife experts in relation to wild bird migration paths from Northern Europe to Ireland.

At present, both Departments agree with the current view that the risk of high pathogenic avian influenza being imported onto the island is probably 'low or remote'. Nonetheless, they said they were committed to implementing the EU Commission decision to step up surveillance and have been taking steps to increase surveillance levels.

Given the mutual interest in ensuring that any outbreak on the island is identified quickly as a first step to its eradication and recognising the economic importance of the poultry industry, the two Departments agreed to continue to work together over the coming months and to exchange the results of their respective wild bird surveillance programmes.

They also plan maintain close informal contacts and will review the position at the next scheduled meeting of the North/South Ministerial Working Group on 'other diseases'.

(MB/SP)