Exotic Bird Trade Finally Banned in EU!!
Apart from the cruelty and brutality and the fact that escaped imported species also puts a strain on individual environments; the continuing threat of viruses jumping from animals to humans in recent years, has finally caused some major world governments to take a long hard look at exotic animal trading. For someone like the Envirowarrior, this is a great blessing, as the madness and cruelty involved in both legally and illegally shipping birds and animals for the prestige set of the affluent world, has been a bane for many years, reaching (as it has) all time highs of depravity and brutality as the *industry* blossomed.
According to a recent paper published in the Journal Science, research revealed that between 2000 and 2006, the United States alone imported nearly 1.5 billion live animals from 190 countries across the world, mostly for sale as pets. Eighty percent of those animals came from wild populations in underdeveloped countries, whose governments continued to turn a blind eye and nearly 70% of them came from Southeast Asia, a known hotspot for emerging diseases which have made the jump from the animal kingdom to ours ; like the recent bird and swine flu*s.
The main animals of export from the Philippines are; snakes, turtles, monkeys, crocodiles, lizards and many already endangered species of native birds and in response to the growing concern to public safety because of Avian flu, some European and Asian governments have finally started to take things seriously and crack down on this activity as a public threat.
Amongst the first to act, the Philippines government gave people 60 days to register exotic pets to create a record of both exotic and endangered species, aimed at public safety, it also ensures that the animals themselves are visible in the care of more humane private individual keepers. A failure to comply is reported to risk (a) the confiscation of the animals, or (b) arrest. It is unclear if these confiscated animals are then released back into the wild or not?
In a non related report last week, I noted with curiosity an article which showed dozens of Philippine pet lovers bringing their dogs, cats, and rabbits to a Roman Catholic shrine for a rare religious ceremony to bless the pets in honor of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals?
However, across the planet a little and the European Commission has also started to take things seriously by temporarily banning the import of all live wild birds into Europe completely. The decision coming in response to calls from both the UK and German ministers, after an imported parrot into the UK tested positive for avian flu.
Prior to this ban, the European Union averaged the importation of 1.76 million birds annually, an amount equal to over 90% of the global annual market, so the news for a complete halt to operations was a major breakthrough for animal liberationists, conservationists and animal welfare groups like the Wild Parrot Trust and WWF.
A day of great celebration for them all, many who have been lobbying their individual governments for years and the pressure had been mounting behind the scenes. Luckily with the outbreak of avian flu adding its own urgency to the chorus of rationalizations, the bill was finally passed. It may be interesting to note here that despite the consistent urging of a grand total of over 230 conservation and animal welfare groups, constantly at the European Commission to halt the import of wild birds, it only took one case of avian flu to make it happen!
Interesting too to note that many new arguments against the trade have come from diverse statistics which are only now beginning to reveal the damage caused by escaped imports becoming invasive species. The findings clearly outlined in yet another paper, published last week in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, where the European researchers estimated that the controlling of such an invasive species, currently costs as much as US$10 million or more.
The report outlines further that;
The ban is also critical to the survival of parrots and songbirds in the wild. Though some parrot species are protected under Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species which prohibits the commercial trade in those species, massive numbers of other birds continue to be imported despite scientific studies that show the trade is not sustainable. But the number of birds that make it to European shores represents only a small fraction of those harvested because 40-70% of all wild birds captured die before export.
Though the current European ban issued is temporary, activists see this as a victory as the risk from Animal and Wildlife-borne diseases is here to stay, possibly itself as a result of our mismanagement of our world and the other species on it in general. Many claiming that in today*s *world of risk* it no longer makes sense to import wild birds as pets at all, especially from high risk countries, which makes me very wary of the Australian black market taking off big time?
At the Sonora Market, a bustling bazaar, in the heart of Mexico City, traders illegally continue to sell animals alongside exotic herbs and folk cures inside its labyrinthine corridors, where despite being illegal, the laws are largely ignored. Conservationists like *Defenders of the Wildlife*s,* Juan Carlos Cantu continues to shudder as he watches a vendor stuffs a rare bird into a cage through his camera lens, aware that the statistics continue to rise dramatically, with an estimated 80,000 parrots captured illegally in Mexico last year alone. Around him, the stalls are packed with endangered yellow-headed parrots, boa snakes and squirrel monkeys.
Juan Carlos Cantu
As for the law in Mexico, it reads something like this; that violators caught trading in exotic birds can receive prison terms of up to 12 years. However, this very rarely happens because all the authorities turn a blind eye to the animal trafficking in general. The truth is that in a regime still so rife with lawlessness, prosecutors have a hard time convincing congested courts to be strict with bird sellers in a country plagued with drug trafficking and kidnapping gangs.
Perhaps the saddest reality of all here notes Cantu, is not the lawlessness, but that as long as there is demand, there will be a market.
The Night Owl
Yorkie Yappers
One of the worst drawbacks about the Wild bird trade is that people pay out exorbitant amounts of money for the bird and the cage, not realizing it is the same as trying to raise a two year old child for the next 75 to 100 years. Not only do the owners not live that long, but the birds are social pets and can not just be left alone all the time. They are very smart and are not given anything to occupy the time or their minds and suffer greatly. They get sick or pluck their feathers or scream loud enough to disturb the whole neighborhood.
Then, when people realize they can't handle it, they either turn them loose or look for rescue agencies. Their are many who have taken in hundreds of these unfortunate birds, but not nearly enough to cover the great need, and if the birds receive proper care, they will outlive their caretakers.
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Really great article.
Trish
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Thanks for your added comments on this problem. I really couldn't agree more and my angr in these situations always lies with the consumer. It is here that I think the blame rests in all cases of injustice in this world because without demand there would be no supply.
It is like people who buy puppy's and kittens for Christmas and then turf them into vacant lots and parking alleys by Easter that these stupid exotic bird fanciers belong, in my book.
If I ruled the world (which sadly I do not) I would soon have large fines on all exotic imports that would put a fast lid on this trading. To see the governments moving that way as Bacterial pandemics become our ally, is really a marvelous step forward in my booka nd I am thrilled too.
Thanks for your kind words and praise, this one was a pleasure to write.
Keep up the good work yourself.
Lilla ...