Government announces new bird flu rules for poultry farms
The New Zealand government has introduced mandatory biosecurity regulations for poultry farms with over 100 birds to manage the risk of H5 bird flu. Operators must now register biosecurity plans and undergo audits to protect the food supply and industry.
Why it matters
Proactive biosecurity measures are essential to prevent large-scale outbreaks of avian influenza, which can devastate food security and agricultural trade.
The Government has announced new biosecurity regulations to help poultry farmers manage H5 bird flu, protect livelihoods, and secure domestic food supply.
Under the new measures, poultry operators with more than 100 birds will be required to develop, register, and implement a farm biosecurity plan for avian disease, setting out how they will prevent and manage H5 bird flu.
“Now that H5 bird flu is here, it will almost certainly establish in wild birds,” said Biosecurity Minister, Andrew Hoggard.
“Cabinet has approved regulations to ensure the sector has the practices, infrastructure, reporting, and compliance tools needed to manage that risk.
“Biosecurity measures are currently voluntary in the poultry sector. While there is strong industry co-operation, farmers doing the right thing can still be put at risk by those who are not.”
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