Animal Aid

In this final part of From Rainforest to Retail - a special Animal Aid report - we look at EU imports of CITES listed birds, and conclude this special report.

Cruelty and suffering are inevitable features of the wild-caught bird trade, but the trade is also responsible for driving species towards extinction.

The main causes of bird declines and extinction are generally accepted as habitat loss and capture of individuals for world trade. The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to control the trade in listed (endangered and near endangered) species and monitor trade in less vulnerable species (to know when they too become endangered).

CITES came into force in the UK on 1st July 1975 and is now managed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It has three levels of control:

• Appendix I includes all species threatened with extinction, and bans trade for commercial purposes in these species.
• Appendix II is for threatened species but allows commercial trading under strict monitoring, if the exporting country is satisfied that any trade is not detrimental to the future survival of that species.
• Appendix III allows countries to list their populations of any given species so that they can monitor international trade in them.

Table 3 shows CITES listed birds who were imported into the EU in 1999. They are the same species as are sold in Focus stores. Although many of the species listed under Appendix II are not in any immediate danger of extinction, continued trafficking could affect their survival as a species.

In 1999, CITES recorded a total European import tally of 1,669,807 individuals of 465 species. However, it is important to bear in mind that this list does not include all live bird imports because the majority of imports are not regulated and documented under CITES. Most wild-caught birds now arrive in Britain indirectly via EU countries. Most birds are imported into Germany and the Low Countries, from where it is a simple step to move them by van into Britain through the ports or the Channel Tunnel. Birds imported into the UK via Europe will not show up in any British statistics.

Table 3: Imports of Cites Listed Wild Birds - European Community 1999

Species	Appendix	Total	Receiving Country	Number
African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus)	II	33,341	Austria Belgium Germany Denmark Spain Finland France UK Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal Sweden	10 5520 1015 6 6216 1 3797 2142 797 25 9410 4392 9
Fischer's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri)	II	63,867	Belgium Germany Spain France UK Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	800 302 26810 1142 3 3777 3305 14718 13010
Peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis)	II	71,588	Belgium Germany Spain France UK Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	1102 5 40684 1261 10 3541 2214 3285 19486
Yellow-collared lovebird (Agapornis personatus)	II	33,720	Belgium Germany Spain France UK Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	400 101 14426 1062 1 2459 1116 1322 12833
Yellow-fronted Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala)	II	1,326	Austria Belgium Germany Spain France UK Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	1 32 46 401 2 55 54 3 514 218
Blue-crowned conure (Aratinga acuticaudata)	II	3,247	Germany Spain UK Portugal Sweden	155 2838 200 53 1
Brown-throated conure (Aratinga pertinax)	II	1,071	Belgium Germany Spain Greece Netherlands Portugal	68 1 607 61 257 77
Maroon-bellied conure (Pyrrura frontalis)	II	60	Spain UK Greece Netherlands	30 2 8 20
Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)	II	10,028	Germany Spain UK Portugal	26 8600 302 1100
Green singing finch (Serinus mozambicus)	III	197,230	Belgium Germany Spain France Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	53630 13860 27675 9415 900 32883 34643 24224
Zebra waxbill (Amandava subflava)	III	54,211	Belgium Germany Spain France Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	16464 6052 6950 3600 700 6550 7545 6350
Orange-cheeked waxbill (Estrilda melpoda)	III	81,308	Belgium Germany Spain France Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	24296 5750 12300 5700 300 12850 5812 14300
Black-rumped waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes)	III	94,774	Belgium Germany Spain France Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	27984 3300 18000 6350 400 13100 4200 21440
Black & white mannikin (Lonchura bicolor)	III	13,779	Belgium Germany Spain Greece Italy Netherlands Portugal	4320 1000 975 300 260 1974 4950
Bronze-winged mannikin (Lonchura cucullata)	III	18,845	Belgium Germany Spain France Italy Netherlands Portugal	2844 1150 2900 1800 2750 460 6950
Magpie mannikin (Lonchura fringilloides)	III	7,295	Belgium Germany Spain Italy Netherlands Portugal	1919 200 860 130 1236 2950

Conclusion

Focus has established itself as a major UK dealer in exotic wild animals. However, the public, their customers and many of their staff, are clearly unaware of the whole story about the origin of some of the birds sold by the company. Focus may say that any sale of birds caught in the wild, if proved, would be an unwitting lapse from the stated company policy. That may be correct. However, the failure to identify the problem demonstrates naivety and plain ignorance of a degree that should automatically disqualify it from playing any part in the exotic pet trade.

If, on the other hand, Focus continues to sell animals that it is persuaded by the evidence are wild-caught, then it will struggle to justify its activities. Tremendous work carried out by the Environmental Investigation Agency and other groups in recent years means that there has been a great deal of publicity about the cruelty and corruption involved in the wild bird trade.

Britain does not allow an international pet trade in our native wild birds and yet our local DIY stores are selling bird species originating in other countries! These 'exotics' deserve exactly the same protection as do British species. How would we feel if populations of our own native birds were being exploited to boost the pet trade in other countries?

Animal Aid will continue its campaign against Focus until they cease the sale of ALL their animals. We will ask the public to boycott Focus, Great Mills and Wickes stores and make it known to the company why they have taken their custom elsewhere. For the foreseeable future, Focus will come under increasing pressure to stick to paint not pets.

Written and researched by Elaine Toland. Additional key research by Peter Robinson, Consultant Ornithologist. The Environmental Investigation Agency were instrumental in exposing the wild-caught bird trade and continue to campaign vigorously to halt the illegal trade in many other endangered species.

vigorously to halt the illegal trade in many other endangered species.