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From: JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Smuggling/slight "indoor" slam
Message-ID: <90198.165720JAHAYES@MIAMIU.BITNET>
Date: 17 Jul 90 21:57:20 GMT
Organization: Miami University - Academic Computer Service
Lines: 46

The following article is reproduced without permission from _Our
Planet_, the official organ of the U.N. Environmental Program.
 
BIRD SMUGGLER ARRESTED: Police protection for endangered species
 
     Brazilian police, with the help of INTERPOL and TRAFFIC,
arrested a prominent Mexican scientist, Jesus Lopez, for attempting
to smuggle rare Brazilian birds into Mexico. (TRAFFIC is an inter-
national network which records trade in animals and plants.)
     Lopez had booked his seat and checked his luggage onto flight
RG872 to Mexico. But the police, acting on information passed to
IBAMA, the Brazilian agency which enforces controls on trade in
rare and endangered species, intercepted and searched his luggage
and found 14 rare birds: 8 hocos (a species of gallinaceous [sic]
from South America that has a spectacular crest), two golden
parrots, and four hyacinth aras (one of the most beautiful parrots,
completely blue in color). All of these species are included in
CITES Appendix 1 which prohibits any trade in listed species.
(CITES is the Convention of International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.) The birds were valued at over
US$100,000.
     "This shows once again that the assistance of the inter-
national community is essential to help countries fight against
the pillaging of their natural heritage," said Obdolio Menghi,
CITES' scientific coordinator for Latin America. "The prices that
live animals from South America command in North American and
European markets attract dealers from all over the world. It's
very difficult to stop this trade when wealthy buyers are behind it."
 
 
----
The point is NOT "don't keep indoor birds" but should perhaps be
"don't keep endangered species indoors" unless you're a zoological
garden.  I have no real wish to start up a flamefest on the moral
value of caging wild birds (though I suppose my bias already shows),
but merely wish to draw to everyone's attention the fact that keeping
some birds is illegal (if they appear on the CITES appendix 1).
Comments are welcome; I suppose flames are, too, if you must. Use
your best judgement when deciding whether to post or e-mail, however.
 
 
Josh Hayes, Zoology Department, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056
voice: 513-529-1679      fax: 513-529-6900
jahayes@miamiu.bitnet, or jahayes@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu
Ed aims to please, and so does Louise, so don't hide arms,
get SIDE arms! at AAAAMES GUNS!