On Tuesday, the Ministry for Agriculture, through its Veterinary Regulation Directorate, issued sweeping restrictions in response to the outbreak of Newcastle Disease. This is a highly contagious and deadly virus that affects birds with devastating speed.
Published in the Government Gazette, the Ministry’s decree takes immediate and nationwide effect, signaling a full mobilization to contain the threat before it spirals further.
Birds banned from public spaces
The heart of the order: birds are to disappear from public spaces.
Fairs can no longer feature them. Markets — whether selling, showcasing, or merely housing birds — must be bird-free zones. Pet shops are ordered to confine all birds indoors and to cease all trading activity, including online sales.
Zoos and wildlife parks have been told to isolate birds indoors as much as possible, in a desperate bid to reduce any risk of contact with wild carriers of the virus. Even falconers are grounded, their majestic birds of prey forbidden from leaving their premises.
Sky is closed for pigeons
In a dramatic blow to a long-standing tradition, all pigeon racing has been suspended. Malta’s skies — once traced by flocks in competition — are now silent. Pigeons must remain locked in their lofts, grounded indefinitely. No international travel is permitted for racing purposes.
Shutting down the trade
The Ministry’s order reaches deep into Malta’s poultry industry. Hatcheries are prohibited from distributing chicks for leisure purposes, and the export of poultry products has been halted entirely.
Even the waste isn’t spared: poultry manure from licensed farms must remain on-site, treated with quicklime and tightly sealed to prevent contamination.
Confirmed outbreak and severe symptoms
The crackdown follows the confirmation of two poultry farms infected with the virus last week. Newcastle Disease spreads like wildfire. This is mostly through droppings, secretions, and even on the wind. The symptoms trigger violent respiratory, digestive, and neurological symptoms in affected birds.
Authorities have acted swiftly. Infected chickens were humanely euthanised, and their eggs and meat incinerated in accordance with EU biosecurity regulations. Farmers who comply with directives are eligible for government compensation.
Risk to humans minimal
Though alarming, the Ministry clarified that human cases are extremely rare, and there is no known human-to-human transmission of the virus. Still, vigilance remains key as Malta races to contain the spread and protect its avian population — and the industries and traditions that rely on it.
A nation’s birds are now under lockdown.
As biosecurity teams monitor every coop, loft, and aviary, Malta holds its breath — hoping swift containment efforts can cage a virus that knows no boundaries.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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