Dutch U-turn on ranging ban
Free range birds in Holland are to go back outdoors after the government changed its mind over a shut-in order.
Officials originally took the action to minimise the AI risk from migrating birds. The virus swept through the country in 2003 and led to the slaughter of 25 million birds. A vet also died.
The confinement order applied to around six million free range and organic birds spread over 400 farms. The Dutch authorities argued that eggs should retain their free range and organic status.
But the EC ruled that this state of affairs could only be maintained for six weeks and was due to make a further ruling on the legal status of the ranging ban. The government came under further pressure when all other member states agreed that a shut-in was unnecessary in present circumstances.
Dutch officials finally agreed to change its ruling. Instead it has decided that AI precautions will be taken on a farm by farm basis and those units in particular danger from wild bird populations may have to erect temporary cover over part of the range.
Chris Borren, chairman of the Dutch Organic Poultry Union, told the Ranger that all of his members had been very much against the order.
“This had the potential to financially ruin our sector and we were not happy with the decision,” said Mr Borren. He said welfare problems had already begun developing.
“The chickens are bored and very often gather in front of the pop holes and this is where feather pecking starts” he said.
Free range retained the support of Dutch consumers but 70 per cent of Dutch organic eggs are exported and producers feared that shoppers in other countries would rapidly become less understanding when they realised that the hens were being kept indoors.
Two members of DOPU, in conjunction with the organic movement and animal rights campaigners, had begun legal proceedings against the government and the case was due to be heard this month.
Mr Borren believed much of the pressure to keep birds housed is coming from the country's cage egg producers.
“It seemed incredible that these same producers are still shipping end-of-lay hens to Eastern Europe for the sake of a few extra eurocents and sourcing cheap pullets from Poland,“ he said. “The risk of bringing the virus in to Holland on a lorry far outweighs any risk associated with infected wildfowl mixing with free range poultry.”
Since the 2003 outbreak blood samples from all free range flocks in the Netherlands have been tested every three months for the presence of low-path AI, and all the country’s laying flocks are tested at slaughter. So far the disease has not been detected.
German officials had already backtracked on an earlier decision to impose a country-wide ban on outdoor poultry from the middle of this month. A majority of federal and regional ministers agreed that the risk of bird flu being carried to the country by migratory birds did not warrant a ban. However, this has not stopped three state governments using their own powers to order birds inside in high risk areas. The states of Lower Saxonby, North Rhine Westphalia and Mecklenburg Vorpommern have implemented a ban on outdoor poultry in regions favoured by large numbers of migratory birds.
In this country Defra is to create a major new modelling system in order to be able to predict the spread and effect of an AI outbreak. Having discovered that the information it has is inadequate it is now to start a data collection operation from across the poultry industry.
It has also warned that in the event of an AI outbreak and a consequent shut-in order, retailers and packers could face trade description problems. While the free range and organic status of the eggs could be protected under EC rulings, any additional claims made by particular free range products could face legal difficulties if the birds were not allowed outdoors. It has advised individuals and companies to take their own legal advice on the issue.
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