National 'Bird flu' Prevention Zones in place
Anyone who keep birds in England or Wales is now subject to the Governments' Prevention Zone orders, to help reduce the risk of the spread of avian influenza (‘bird flu’).
The orders follow findings of avian influenza in wild birds at sites across England. This strain has never transmitted to humans.
The order requires all bird keepers to take steps to separate wild and kept birds and to improve biosecurity.
You can read the Prevention Zone order requirements in England in full on Defra’s website:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/674627/ai-prevention-zone-180118.pdf
You can read the Welsh equivalent Prevention Zone details on the Welsh Government’s website: http://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/ahw/disease/avianflu/?lang=en
Visiting WWT wetland centres
The countryside remains open, including WWT’s wetland centres. You can see spectacles of many thousands of visiting winter birds out on our reserves, as normal.
Like other bird keepers, we are implementing a range of measures as per the Prevention Zone orders. Most noticeably, you will find disinfectant mats to walk across at our entrances and exits. This helps protect our own and other’s birds by reducing the risk of people inadvertently carrying the disease on their feet, or via wheels of buggies and wheelchairs.
To help protect wild and kept birds, we strongly urge everyone to wash footwear, equipment and hands as you move around the countryside
