AI Licence Conditions
As we get ready to race I have received many queries at the Reddings over the Licence conditions. The first thing to say is that since we sent out the AI information booklet to club secretaries the licence conditions have changed slightly. This happened on 17 March 06 so if you are a club secretary then may I suggest that you find someone in your club with web access and download the latest licence conditions. Your local library should have access to the web if you have no other option. You will see that there is now a signed licence by Simon Hewitt on the DEFRA website.
The major points I wish to highlight are these

• I have advised the AHDOs nearest to the liberation but only those from which we have received race programmes.
• Training – If you are training your pigeons with those of another fancier then this is a gathering and you must follow the licence conditions which includes giving 14 days notice of your intentions to your local AHDO.
• If you training on your own then the licence conditions do not apply. See the Q&A section on the DEFRA website.
• The vet only needs to be available (on call) in the event of a suspected sick pigeon. He does not need to be in attendance at the marking station.
• Each event organiser must have a written action plan available. Below you will see a suggested action plan which you may tailor to fit your club/organisation. If you would like me to e mail you a copy of this then please email me on gm@rpra.org and put “Draft action plan please “ in the subject box and I will send one back by return.
• We have advised AHDOs nearest to liberation sites of the race programmes. What we cannot tell them is the number of pigeons that clubs/orgs are sending. Race organizers must therefore advise their liberation AHDO of the number of pigeons to be liberated.

Change to the general licence conditions
The following announcement has been received from DEFRA
“Defra is introducing a minor change to the general license condition for bird gatherings. As you may be aware, the UK currently permits all domestic bird gatherings to go ahead under a general licence which requires event organisers to inform their local animal health office and observe various biosecurity and record-keeping requirements.
We have carried out an assessment of the risk posed by live birds imported into the UK from the rest of the EU in attending bird gatherings. We have concluded that we should add a further condition to the general licence prohibiting birds imported into the UK from the rest of the EU within the previous four weeks from attending any bird gatherings. (Imports of live birds from outside the EU are already banned until 31 May).”
This means that if you import pigeons from places such as Lier market you are not allowed to race, sell or sell them for 4 weeks after import.

• ……... is designated as the Event/race Organiser and responsible record keeper.
• He/she is to keep a record of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, numbers of birds and ring numbers of pigeons entered into each race for 3 months in case that tracing is required.
• Individual pigeons should be inspected for signs of disease before being mixed with pigeons from other lofts in crates or transport containers
• All litter and manure within the crates, baskets and containers must be collected for disposal and must be disposed of in sealed bags for normal refuse collection in such a manner that other birds do not have direct access to it.
• The Event Organiser is to ensure that all crates, baskets and pigeon containers used fro transport and holding birds prior to liberation are cleansed and disinfected prior to and after the race
• All entrants must be instructed to cleanse and disinfect baskets and crates used to transport birds to the marking station on return to the home premises and before they are used to hold any other bird.

• The nominated veterinary surgeon is ……….who is contactable by telephone on ……………
• In the event that a pigeon is suspected that it has a disease, the pigeon is to be immediately removed to an isolation area and the nominated veterinary surgeon contacted.
• The isolation area is to be cordoned off and a strict control of entry policy enforced until such time as a DEFRA official or veterinary surgeon gives clearance.
• In the event of suspect avian influenza the local Animal Health Divisional Office is to be contacted on ………

Pigeon Racing on Sky News
The problems of AI and pigeon racing were highlighted last Saturday on Sky News. I was approached to see if we wanted to put over our concerns about the problems we were likely to encounter and snapped at the opportunity. I am pleased to say that RPRA President Pat Mitchell did the filming and put our case across in the limited air time that we had. Well done Pat. It was a good opportunity to scoff at the rubbish that has been appearing in the media about AI and racing pigeons from supposed experts. After an item appeared in the Sunday Times the weekend before last from an ‘expert’ from the Royal College of General Practitioners, I wrote to them to ask for the basis of their opinion. What is it they sing from the football terraces? “It’s all gone quiet over there!”.

RPRA One Loft Race
The staff at the Reddings has recently taken delivery of their entry into the One Loft Race. The staff decided to sponsor a pigeon on behalf of the Marie Curie Cancer Care and Nick Orchard from Stroud bred a pigeon for us. Anna Roche, the effervescent charity worker from the MCCC who did such a brilliant job on the pigeon liberations to promote their Great Daffodil Appeal's 20th birthday in March (see http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/involved/the-royal-pigeon-racing-association.html) visited the Reddings this week to see’ Daffodil’ the squeaker that Nick bred and then delivered it to the loft.

Peter Bryant
General Manager