Newsgroups: rec.birds
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uupsi!intercon!news
From: kdb@intercon.com (Kurt Baumann)
Subject: Re: Cdn Parrot Symposium: Orenstein Speech
Reply-To: kdb@intercon.com (Kurt Baumann)
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 91 21:46:06 GMT
Message-ID: <2853F31E.2CEA@intercon.com>
References: <9718@cognos.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@intercon.com (USENET The Magnificent)

In article <9718@cognos.UUCP>, stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) writes:
> Aviculturalists
> must learn the diffence between attempted control of wild bird
> trade (which would permit "managed import of small number of birds
> that may be needed to establish or bolster captive gene pools") and 
> control of aviculture (something only supported by fringe conservation
> groups).

Cool, as an Aviculturalist I agree that bird importation HAS to be stopped.  
However, I also believe that small numbers of birds need to be imported to help 
keep the genitic pool diversified, and help to establish captive breeding 
programs, not just for the pet trade.  I also believe that what the US and 
other countries ought to do is establish accredidation for "certified breeders" 
and allow ONLY those (hey I don't even think that ALL ZOO's should be allowed 
into this program) to "purchase" breeding stock that would be brought in every 
other year.  The high cost of bringing these birds in properly one to a travel 
cage, correctly feed, quarentined, etc. should be passed along to the purchaser.

This would allow new breeding stock to be brought into countries, and keep it 
humane.  On the other end, capture stations should sex birds and test for 
overall health and fertility.  Then ONLY those birds would be brought over.  A 
quota system would have to be put into place based on various factors such as 
locally available habitat, number in the wild, etc..  Once a species was 
established in the importing country imports would be dropped to once every 
five years (or so).

Sorry for the terseness of this note, but that's my idea in a nutshell.  I 
believe that this would work, even for countries who now allow NO exportation.  
This would keep the population in the wild, and help establish a captive 
population which could be tapped at some point to reestablish wild populations 
if we as a species every figures out that we don't need to rape every acre of 
land on this world.  Oh, any "profits" from the sales of breeders could be 
directly funnelled back to the exporting country earmarked for use in helping 
study, manage, and preserve the wild flocks.

Well that's my two cents.


Kurt Baumann                  703.709.9890
InterCon Systems Corp.   Creators of fine TCP/IP products for
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