TED Case Studies
Bird Imports to Latin America
1. The Issue
Every year millions of birds are taken from their homes in
the wild and shipped to various countries around the world for
sale as pets. Over half die before leaving their home country
and more die while en-route because of the cruel conditions and
treatment they must endure. Several actions have been undertaken
to curb this practice, including those by the U.S. Congress. In
1992, Congress passed the Wild Bird Conservation Act in response
to these problems despite the protests of the domestic U.S. pet
industry. The goals of the Congressional action were to end the
importation of wild-caught tropical birds and to stop the
environmental destruction associated with it.
2. Description
The United States is the world's largest trader in exotic
birds, with 461,861 birds exported to the United States in 1989.
In total, each year more than 500,000 different types of tropical
birds are taken from the wild. Although habitat destruction and
local use threaten the existence of many birds, capturing the wild
birds so that they can be used as pets is a contributing factor to
their decline due to the enormous loss rates. As a result of
pressure from conservation groups, the U.S. Congress in 1991 and
1992 introduced bills to phase out wild-caught bird imports for pet
use and to provide better treatment of the birds while in transport
to the United States and while in quarantine This was intended to
stop the decline of exotic bird populations, especially in
countries of Latin America.
The inhumane treatment of birds while en-route to the
United States and then while in quarantine is a very serious issue.
Almost 50 percent of the birds die during capture. In 1989, of the
461,000 tropical birds imported into the United States, 17,471 were
dead on arrival and another 48,279 birds died while in quarantine.
The birds' deaths are caused by "traumas of capture, brutal
mishandling, hunger and thirst, gross
overcrowding and disease caused by stress."
Over 100 countries have laws prohibiting the export of
birds but unfortunately consumer countries, such as the United
States, have no bans on importing them (see THAIBIRD case on bird
trade) or laws on their survial (see TIMOWL case). One of the
bills introduced by the Congress called for a banning of wild-
imported birds over the following five years, during which time a
program to encourage captive-bred birds would be implemented. It
also called for reforms in the way birds are transported. By
limiting the importation of wild-caught birds the environment would
also be helped, since trees and vegetation are destroyed in the
effort to locate the birds and subsequently capture them.
3. Related Cases
THAIBIRD case
TIMOWL case
CRANE case
GROUSE case
SWIFT case
GEESE case
4. Draft Author:
Kerri Sperring
5. Discourse and Status: AGReement and COMPlete
6. Forum and Scope: USA and UNILATeral
The forum of the case is the United States. CITES, the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, in 1975
did try to provide more control over trade in wildlife but
profits gained from exporting the tropical birds were so great
enforcement was difficult. In 1987, 95 countries did agree to
provide more protection for the hyacinth and military macaws under
CITES.
7. Decision Breadth:20 (USA and South American
countries)
8. Legal Standing: LAW
9. Geographic Locations
a. Geographic Domain: South America [SAMER]
b. Geographic Site: AMAZON
c. Geographic Impact: USA
Many of the birds come from the Amazon region which
encompasses a number of countries including Brazil, Ecuador, Peru,
Colombia, Surinam and Guyana.
10. Sub-National Factors:NO
11. Type of Habitat:TROPical
12. Type of Measure:Import Ban [IMBAN]
13. Direct v. Indirect Impacts:DIRect
The measure applies to the importation of wild birds into the
United States. In reality, many of the birds come from the Amazon
region.
14. Relation of Trade Measure to Environmental Impact
a. Directly Related to Product: YES (BIRD)
b. Indirectly Related to Product: NO
c. Not Related to Product: NO
d. Related to Process: YES (Species Loss Air,
SPLA)
15. Trade Product Identification:PET
16. Economic Data
Profit-making in parrot exports alone is huge. The retail
value of $1.6 billion from parrot exports during the years of
1982-1986 does not even include the total revenues earned by
trappers and middlemen. The campesinos that capture the birds earn
about $7 per bird. Birds at markets in some Latin American cities
sell for as low as $5 to about $12 but the birds then sell in the
United States from $150 to $400 depending on the type of bird.
17. Impact of Trade Restriction:BAN
In October of 1993, the U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act began
prohibiting the importing of all birds for retail sale on the CITES
list. Birds for use in zoos, in scientific research and in some
captive breeding programs can still be imported. 18.
Industry Sector: Non-Durable, Other [NOTH]
19.
Exporters and Importers:ARGENtina and USA
20. Environmental Problem Type: Species Loss Air
[SPLA]
Large scale trade in birds is not a new
phenomenon. "By conservative estimate, in the late 19th century
five million birds a year were killed for the feathers -- and it
was probably three or four times that." Today's imports are
largely various types of neotropical birds, especially macaws and
cockatoos. 21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species
Name: Birds
Type: Animal/Birds
Diversity: 170 birds per 10,000 km/sq (Brazil)
Currently there are 10 bird species covered by the Wild Bird
Conservation Act. In October of 1993, the act was expanded to
include all birds on the CITES list. Birds that can be imported
will be determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
22. Resource Impact and Effect: MEDium and PRODuct
The U.S. ban on trade in neo-tropical birds is significant
because the United States is the biggest importer. Other
countries will however continue to import birds and poaching and
smuggling of them through the Mexican border to the United States
will probably continue. Due to continued deforestation, the birds
are losing habitats, further hastening their destruction.
23. Urgency and Lifetime of Problem:MEDium and 20-40
years
Some of the birds such as the hyacinth macaw are
already on the endangered species list. Some 77 to 335 parrot
species are in danger of becoming extinct due to pet trade and
habitat
destruction. Little is known on the lifetime and years to
extinction of the tropical birds but some birds live for 20 to 40
years.
24. Substitutes: LIKE products
25. Culture:YES
The keeping of birds as pets serves no purpose other than
pleasure to humans and appears to be cultural in nature. Some keep
the birds as pets for the sounds that they make. Some enjoy the
whistles, other the mimicking abilities of certain birds.
26. Trans-Boundary Issues:YES
Trans-shipment has
caused some problems. There are a large number of bird exports
coming out of the Guyana, Surinam, and French Guyana, but most of
the species are in fact native to Brazil, which has imposed some
restrictions on bird exports. Therefore, trans-shipment is a
serious problme in wild bird trade. Mexico is also a large point
for trans-shipment to the United States, especially from Central
America.
27. Rights:YES
The conditions under which the birds are transported have been
unusually cruel with enormously high rates of mortality. This has
provoked a call of action based on animal rights.
28. Relevant Literature
"Airlines Pressed to Stop Transporting Wild Birds." New York
Times (May 11, 1991, late edition): A8.
Beissinger, Steven R. and Enrique H. Bucher. "Can Parrots Be
Conserved through Sustainable Harvesting?" Bioscience
(March 1992): 164-173.
Inigo-Elias, Eduardo E. and Mario A. Ramos. "Psittacine Trade
in Mexico." Neotropical Wildlife Use and Conservation.
Ed. John G. Robinson and Kent H. Redford. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1991: 380-392.
Kastner, Joseph, "Long Before Furs, it was Feathers than Stirred
Reformist Ire," Smithsonian 25/4 (July 1994)): 97-104.
"Please Help Us Stop This Cruelty." Defenders of Wildlife
(Washington, DC, 1992).
Thomsen, Jorgue B. and Amie Brautigam. "Sustainable Use of
Neotropical Parrots." Neotropical Wildlife Use and
Conservation. Ed. John G. Robinson and Kent H.
Redford. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991:
359-379.
"The Trade in Wild-Caught Birds: U.S. Imports 1989."
Washington, DC: Defenders of Wildlife, 1992.
United States Congress. Congressional Record (June 4, 1991):
137.84.
United States Congress. Congressional Record (June 5, 1991):
137.85.
United States Congress. Congressional Record (August 12, 1992):
138.119.
United States Congress. Congressional Record (September 30,
1992): 138.137.
West, Dana L. "U.S. Importation of Exotic Birds." Bioscience
(May 1991): 300.
Wille, Chris, ed. "Protection for Rare Birds." Audobon
(November 1987): 143.
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