Balmoral Show: Bird flu measures to halt poultry shows

The Balmoral Show has been hit by Northern Ireland's continuing bird flu prevention measures.

Organisers had hoped the poultry and eggs classes would go ahead as normal when the show returned in May.

But the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has confirmed that no date has been set for lifting a ban on poultry shows.

DAERA told organisers the risk of avian flu posed by wild birds in Great Britain "is still very high".

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) said it hoped to be permitted to host a small display of birds from the same flock during the four days of the show when it returned to the Eikon Exhibition Centre near Lisburn on 11 May.

It will be the first show during its traditional May dates since the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021/22 outbreak of avian flu has been described as "the largest ever in these islands".

In Northern Ireland, commercial and backyard flocks in six locations have been culled following the detection of the highly infectious strain, HPAI H5N1.

Six outbreaks were also confirmed in the Republic of Ireland, mostly in County Monaghan with one in County Cavan.

In Great Britain, there have been 109 outbreaks since the first was detected in October 2021.

Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease which usually proves fatal and poses a serious risk to the commercial poultry trade.

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, which requires enhanced biosecurity measures, and a housing order for all owned birds has been in place across Northern Ireland since November last year.