New Report Highlights Ongoing Concerns about Bird Trade in the EU
The newly published report Wild birds traded and kept as pets in the EU by the non-profit organisations Pro Wildlife (Germany), Monitor Conservation Research Society (Canada) and the Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) sheds light on the complexities and challenges surrounding the trade in birds for the European pet market. Despite strict regulations and an import ban on wild birds, the report uncovers ongoing legal loopholes, enforcement gaps, and the persistence of illegal trade.
Until 2005, the EU was the world’s largest importer of wild-caught birds. While the implementation of the EU wild bird import ban in 2005 significantly reduced the trade in wild-caught birds, the keeping and trading of birds is still highly popular within the Union and affects millions of animals. The report shows that illegal trade and laundering of wild birds continues. In addition, the report addresses other major concerns associated with the bird trade, including ecological impacts, animal welfare, and public health implications.
Captured Grey Parrots © Limbe Wildlife Centre
Key Findings:
- Loopholes in existing legislation, such as exemptions for the import of wild-caught birds for zoos or privately kept birds, continue to facilitate illegal bird trade within the EU.
- The laundering of wild-caught birds as captive-bred specimens remains an issue of concern.
- Due to the lack of monitoring systems, the exact scope of bird species traded and kept within the EU remains unknown.
- Enforcement inconsistencies and lack of standardised penalties weaken the impact of regulations.
- The trade in birds can pose significant risks to biodiversity, public health, and animal welfare.
“The implementation of the wild bird import ban was an important step towards regulating the EU bird trade. However, further measures are needed to close existing loopholes and address the problem that the vast majority of the wild bird trade remains unknown due to the lack of systematic record keeping of all birds”, says Katharina Lameter, Project Manager at Pro Wildlife.
“Once birds are smuggled into the EU it becomes near impossible to trace them and to determine their legality. This allows animals that were illegally sourced and exported from their countries of origin to be freely traded within the Union. Legal reforms and improved cooperation between European authorities are imperative to counter these practices and tackle illegal trade”, adds Boyd Leupen, Wildlife Trade Researcher at Monitor.
“To effectively curb illegal trade and protect wild bird populations, urgent additional measures and greater awareness among policymakers, enforcement agencies, and bird keepers are needed”, emphasises Jacqueline Jürgens, Researcher at Copenhagen Zoo.
The authors of the report call the urgent need of legal and enforcement measures, including:
- Closing loopholes in existing laws to prevent undermining existing laws.
- Introducing deterrent penalties and ensuring full application of the law to ensure the risks of illegal bird trade outweigh the benefits.
- Enhancing cooperation between national and international enforcement agencies.
- Implementing systematic record keeping of bird imports and seizures.
- Increasing awareness of the bird trade and associated concerns among enforcement authorities, judiciary, and the public.
Read Wild birds traded and kept as pets in the EU – trade dynamics and ongoing concerns by Pro Wildlife, Monitor and Copenhagen Zoo
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