There’s a much welcomed reprieve for local poultry farmers now that the ban on the importation of live birds and eggs from the U.S. mainland has been lifted.

Territorial Veterinarian Dr. Mariana Turner announced the Guam Department of Agriculture is reinstating the modified entry requirements.

The U.S. poultry industry has been severely impacted by the avian influenza or bird flu.

Since mid-2022 millions of birds have been destroyed.

Dr. Turner said, “This particular strain of avian influenza is so detrimental that it can kill an entire flock of birds in less than 12 to 24 hours, and to see how rapidly this particular strain was spreading, we just needed to cut it off…Normally when avian influenza comes through you'll see a surge and then it dies down, and it's gone. Never before has it lasted a year and a half, an outbreak lasted a year and a half. Not only is it so strong it is lasting so long, but it is also affecting so many other species.” 

Additionally, the avian flu also affects humans.

The ban has greatly impacted local poultry farmers who have only been able to bring in birds from Hawaii, which is not affected by North American bird migration.

Dr. Turner said the ban was briefly lifted last November, but was quickly reinstated when cases started rising again back in the U.S.

She said it remains a very dynamic situation and she will be closely monitoring for new outbreaks.