| As special protection and surveillance zones now reach out a total of ten kilometres from the spot where a dead swan was originally found to have “highly pathogenic H5 avian flu”, members of the public have been warned not to touch dead birds and to report findings of dead swans, geese or ducks.
The swan was found over a week ago on the harbour slipway, it has emerged.
Checkpoints have been set up on roads leading in and out of the village.
Police have been stopping vehicles in the area to make sure no poultry or poultry products are being transported, although there is only one farm in the area which has a major poultry flock.
At the moment it has been told to carry on with business as normal.
The East Neuk is on a migratory route for wildfowl of various types, and every year tens of thousands of geese and ducks arrive at destinations such as the Eden and Tay Estuaries.
The dead bird, which is not yet known to be a migrating bird or one of the local population of mute swans, was sent off for testing when it was found in Cellardke Harbour after apparently being in the water some time.
News was released late last night that preliminary tests had discovered the H5 virus.
A statement from the Executive made it clear the protection and surveillance zones have been put in place in accordance with a recent EU decision.
Keepers of birds in the three-kilometre protection zone are being instructed to isolate their birds from wild birds, by taking them indoors wherever possible, and measures to restrict the movement of poultry, eggs and poultry products have been brought into immediate effect.
Fife Council’s head of environmental services, Fraser Thomson, said the local authority would be supporting the Scottish Executive and State Veterinary Service in their handling of the incident in Cellardyke.
This, he said, would be done in the same way Fife Council offered support in other major incidents, for instance foot and mouth disease.
“Our main role will be to monitor animal movements and help enforce the exclusion zones,” said Mr Thomson.
Anyone needing more information should call the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 08459 33 55 77.
Further information and questions and answers on the issue will be available through the Defra website www.defra.gov.uk. Fife Council’s website www.fifedirect.org.uk will also be updated with news when it is available.
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