General licence for the movement of poultry carcasses for disposal from premises in a protection zone or surveillance zone in England (EXD339(HPAI)(E))
Updated 16 December 2024
Applies to England
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This licence permits, subject to compliance with the conditions set out below, the direct movement of poultry carcasses from premises in a protection zone or a surveillance zone to other premises within or outside the zone within England, for disposal.
This licence only permits movements that are otherwise prohibited by a declaration issued in response to an outbreak of H5NX, where H5NX is any strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of clade 2.3.4.4b, for example H5N1, H5N5. It does not permit movements prohibited by a declaration issued in response to an outbreak of any other strain of HPAI.
This licence is valid from 15:14pm on 16 December 2024 until suspended or revoked in writing.
This licence has been issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and it applies to England only.
Signed: Sarah Lloyd Veterinary Inspector
Date: 16 December 2024 Time: 15:14pm
Veterinary Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.
Legislation
This general licence is issued in accordance with:
- paragraphs 14 and 16 of Schedule 4 to the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) (“the Order”)
- paragraph 8A of Schedule 5 to the Order
- article 2(1) of the Animals (Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 1927
Conditions of the licence
1) The move must be directly to the disposal premises.
2) Poultry carcasses may only be moved for disposal, by the means of disposal prescribed for Category 1 material or Category 2 material by Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 (retained EU law). Disposal of carcasses must be by the means of disposal and use permitted by Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 (retained EU law) for the relevant category of material. The derogation in Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 (retained EU law) enabling the use of Category 2 animal by-products in the feeding of any animals does not apply to these carcasses.
3) Immediately prior to each movement or removal of poultry carcasses the licensee must inspect the poultry on the premises to check that they show no clinical signs that could be associated with avian influenza.
4) The licensee must notify APHA within 24 hours of the inspection to confirm that the inspection has been carried out and that the poultry on the premises showed no clinical signs that could be associated with avian influenza. The notification must include the consignor’s name and address, the destination disposal centre and the date and results of the inspection. The notification can be made by email to [email protected] or in writing to: The Licensing Team, APHA, Level One, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
5) The vehicle used to transport the poultry carcasses must be leak proof and covered. There must also be a spill kit available in the vehicle during transport in case of any spillage.
6) The collection vehicle should not be taken onto the premises of origin (where possible) beyond the perimeter of the premises and should not pass over any surface that could possibly be contaminated with mud, slurry, poultry faeces, excretions, feathers, litter, eggshell or other similar matter liable to transmit disease. The transfer of the poultry carcasses should be at the perimeter of the premises.
7) The vehicle’s wheels and wheel arches must be cleansed and disinfected before leaving any premises from which a poultry carcass has been collected. The cleansing and disinfection after loading must take place at a point beyond which no contamination with mud, slurry, poultry faeces, feathers, litter, eggshell or any similar matter can take place.
8) After unloading at the poultry carcasses disposal premises:
- the parts of the vehicle and any equipment used to transport anything which might be contaminated with mud, slurry, poultry faeces, excretions, feathers or any other similar matter must be cleansed and disinfected on site
- the vehicle’s wheels and wheel arches must be cleansed and disinfected after unloading and before leaving the destination premises
9) The licensee must ensure that any persons involved in this movement:
- do not enter or leave any poultry or captive bird premises wearing clothing or footwear which is visibly soiled with mud, poultry or bird faeces or any similar matter
- cleanse and disinfect their footwear before entering or leaving any premises or place where poultry or captive birds were present
- remove any disposable clothing before leaving a poultry or captive bird premises and do not reuse it at further premises
- ensure non disposable clothing is clean and free of all visible contamination before leaving a poultry or captive bird premises
- take all other reasonable precautions to avoid transferring mud, slurry, animal faeces, excretions, feathers or any other similar matter between poultry and captive bird premises
10) This licence does not apply to movements to or from any premises which has been served a restriction notice by a veterinary inspector.
11) The premises from which the carcasses have been moved must be cleansed and disinfected in accordance with Article 66 of the Order in England.
Explanatory notes
1) When moving anything under the authority of a licence granted under the Order, a person must carry a consignment note. The consignment note must include the:
- quantity of poultry carcasses being moved
- date of the movement
- name of the consignor
- address of the premises from which the carcasses have been moved
- registration of the collecting vehicle
- name of the consignee
- address of the disposal premises
2) A record of the movement including the registration of any vehicle used must be made by the occupier of the source premises as soon as is reasonably practicable after the movement and retained for at least 6 weeks after the movement is completed, as required by Article 74 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) in England.
3) A person moving poultry carcasses under authority of a licence granted under the Order must, if asked to do so by an inspector or other officer of the Secretary of State, give their name and address, produce the consignment note and allow copies or extracts to be taken.
4) If the activity that you wish to undertake is not covered by this licence, or if you are unable to comply with any of the terms and conditions which apply to the use of this licence, then you will need to apply for a specific licence.
5) Where the use of a disinfectant is required under this licence, it must be used at the correct concentration, allowed adequate contact time, and the disinfectant must be approved under the Diseases of Animals (Approved Disinfectants) (England) Order 2007 (as amended) in England.
6) If you suspect notifiable disease, you must report this immediately:
- England - Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301
7) The authority to move poultry carcasses under this licence does not apply to premises under Notice as Infected, Contact or Suspect Premises.
8) A carcass may only be moved by a collector registered under the requirements of Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 (retained EU law relating to animal by-products) unless operating from a premises approved under Article 24 of that Regulation. Any vehicle used to transport a carcass under this licence must comply with the relevant provisions of the Animal By-Products (England) (Enforcement) Regulations 2013 (as amended) in England.
9) The destination premises must be approved in accordance with Article 24 of retained EU law Regulation (EC) No.1069/2009.
10) Further information is available on Fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals.
11) All bird keepers must keep a close watch on their birds for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your birds, seek prompt advice from your vet.
12) For further details of legislation covering avian influenza in England – see our Bird flu guidance.
Failure to observe the measures required in this licence is an offence under Section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981. The penalty on conviction of an offence under this section is a maximum of 6 months’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding Level 5 on the standard scale or both.
Contact us
If you have any queries regarding this general licence, please contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Please include your name, full address and telephone number so we can ensure your enquiry is routed to the correct area expert.