News item | 16-10-2025 | 17:18
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature imposes a national containment and shielding obligation due to bird flu.
On October 6, highly pathogenic bird flu was diagnosed at a poultry farm in Gasselternijveenschemond in Drenthe. To prevent further spread of the virus, the approximately 71,000 animals at that location were culled by the NVWA. A transport ban and a containment and shielding obligation were also imposed in the 10-kilometre restriction zone.
On October 13, the Animal Diseases Expert Group met to make a new risk assessment based on the recent outbreak in Gasselternijveenschemond and available information on outbreaks in other Member States in the European Union. The risk of contamination of a poultry farm in the Netherlands is now estimated at moderate. This was rather low to moderate. This is why the decision has been made for a national cage and shielding obligation and the withdrawal of the current exceptions for exhibitions of risk birds.
The cage obligation applies to all commercially kept birds and the shielding obligation applies to all keepers of risk birds (gallinids, water birds or ratites) and commercially kept pheasants, ratites or ornamental water birds.
The aim of this national measure is to reduce the risk of contamination of kept birds, because it reduces the degree of contact between birds kept outdoors and wild birds. It is a severe measure for keepers of outdoor poultry and hobby keepers, but the measure is necessary to prevent outbreaks. The safety of our animals comes first.
Stay alert
We have seen in recent years that bird flu is very unpredictable. For this reason, the ministry continues to closely monitor the situation. It is important that poultry farmers and keepers of other bird species remain alert, observe safety and hygiene measures and report possible suspicions to the NVWA as quickly as possible.