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Outdoor poultry farming has resumed across most of the Region of Murcia after the Ministry of Agriculture lifted the bird flu lockdown that had been in place since last November, citing the low current incidence of the disease and the fact that nearly three months have passed since the last recorded outbreak in Spain.

 

The restrictions had required chickens, turkeys and other poultry to be kept indoors to prevent contact with wildlife, following a wave of avian flu that prompted a nationwide tightening of the rules.

 

Around 57,000 birds across a dozen farms in Abanilla, Bullas, Jumilla, Lorca, Torre Pacheco and Cartagena had been affected, representing 4.7% of all farms in the Region. The vast majority of those birds can now go back to roaming freely in outdoor areas. The easing of restrictions also allows municipal pond ornamental birds to be cared for under normal conditions again.

 

Importantly, the Region of Murcia recorded no cases of infection during the latest wave and Spain was officially declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza by the World Organisation for Animal Health back on February 10.

 

The Ministry pointed out, however, that preventive confinement measures were kept in place beyond that point due to the ongoing risk posed by migratory birds arriving from parts of Europe where the disease remains more prevalent.

 

Restrictions will remain in place in eleven municipalities where wetlands or migratory bird transit routes create a higher level of ongoing risk. These are Fortuna, Lorquí, Molina de Segura, Santomera, Cartagena, Mazarrón, San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Los Alcázares and Torre Pacheco, along with the Cañada Hermosa site near Murcia, which attracts large numbers of birds.

 

The areas of greatest concern include the Mar Menor, the lagoons of Campotéjar and Las Moreras and the salt flats of San Pedro del Pinatar, all of which serve as important stopover points for migratory species.

 

Since July 2025, sixteen outbreaks of avian flu have been recorded on poultry farms across Spain, the most recent of which occurred on January 13 in the province of Lleida.

 

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