An outbreak of highly-contagious fowl pest in pheasants is threatening the autumn shooting season in the North. Newcastle disease has been found in a commercial rearing unit near Lough Neagh, Co Antrim. In February, 1.3 million chickens were destroyed in 26 outbreaks of the disease.
All pheasants on the infected site are to be destroyed and a 10km exclusion zone is to be put in place.