The Government will extend avian flu protection measures to all municipalities of the Balearic Islands, adapting them to the particular characteristics of the insular sector

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, through the Directorate-General of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, aware of the reality of the poultry sector in the Balearic Islands and recognising the real risk of avian flu spreading, reports that, as established in the Ministerial Order published today in issue 273 of the Official State Gazette, it will extend in the coming days the protection measures against avian flu to all municipalities of the archipelago. This will ensure that, in all cases, biosecurity measures are observed to minimise any possible contact with wild birds, the main source of infection.

In this regard, and considering that the Order states that autonomous communities may make the measures more flexible to adapt them to the reality of their farms, the Directorate-General of Agriculture has decided to maintain the protection measures announced last Friday. These will allow, as defined in the Ministry’s Order, “the keeping of poultry outdoors, by installing, where possible, netting or any other device that prevents the entry of wild birds, and provided that birds are fed and watered inside the facilities or in a shelter that prevents wild birds from accessing them and avoids their contact with food or water intended for poultry.”

In this sense, the Director-General, Fernando Fernández, recalls that “these measures can remain in place as long as farm owners behave responsibly, implementing all possible measures to avoid contact with wild birds. However, if the Directorate-General becomes aware that the necessary precautions are not being followed, more drastic measures will be adopted.” Fernández also explains that “the Directorate-General, together with technical services, has agreed that the next resolution will include more intensive controls on commercial farms to ensure that biosecurity measures are being implemented.”

The measures adopted in the Balearic Islands, which will be extended in the coming days, are as follows:

Regarding weekly markets, they are prohibited whenever birds from more than one farm or from different municipalities are brought together, whether they are poultry or captive birds. Livestock fairs are also prohibited in all municipalities.

Ministerial Order APA/1288/2025 generally prohibits the outdoor rearing of poultry throughout the national territory. However, given the characteristics of self-consumption farms in the Balearic Islands, outdoor rearing will be permitted provided that the conditions mentioned above are met: food and water must be supplied indoors or in protected areas without contact with wild birds; outdoor water tanks must be protected from wild bird contact; and any water from tanks accessible to wild birds must be treated to inactivate potential viruses.

Regarding homing pigeons and training flights, this activity is authorised under the supervision of the veterinarian responsible for vaccinations, since this disease is not commonly detected in these birds and they are transported in closed vehicles to the release site before returning to their home loft.