Bird flu outbreaks prompt national indoor shelter order

Three recent outbreaks of bird flu have led agriculture secretary Silvio Erkens to order farmers to keep their poultry indoors.

Two of the outbreaks occurred in Groningen and one in Noord-Holland. Wild birds, which are currently migrating south, have also been found to carry the disease.

“It is important to limit contact between kept birds and potentially infected wild birds as much as possible,” Erkens told broadcaster NOS. “That way we are doing everything we can to prevent new outbreaks.”

Bird hobbyists don’t have to comply with the order, but they must shield their birds in aviaries or other shelters. All non-essential visitors are also banned from places where birds are kept.

Consumers

While poultry farmers are hard-hit, the price and availability of poultry have remained relatively stable.

“The prices have been high enough for the past couple of months, so they are stable for now,” says Babak Sadeghi, who owns Chris Kip in Amsterdam’s Albert Cuyp Market. “But increased transport and petrol prices have affected suppliers and deliveries.”

Bird flu has also been found in Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and other places.

Erkens is pushing for mandatory vaccinations of egg-laying hens against bird flu.