Petition calls for ban on exotic wildlife trade after 50 parrots, toucans held at Vancouver airport

The BC SPCA is asking Canadians to put an end to the exotic wildlife trade after 50 parrots and toucans were held at Vancouver International Airport.

Dr. Sara Dubois, chief scientific officer for the BC SPCA, says the case took place last month. The birds came from Guyana and were held at YVR on their way to Japan.

One of the toucans was found dead, and several others had no food.

Dubois said this is “just one small example of the suffering inflicted on exotic animals exploited by global trade.”

The organization has started a petition to ban the international and domestic trade of exotic birds and other wild animals.

“The exotic bird trade is immense, involving thousands of species and millions of individual birds each year,” says Dubois.

“At any given moment, untold numbers of birds are being caught and shipped around the world. Some are destined for the pet trade here in Canada. Others will merely pass through our borders on their way to being sold as pets in other countries.”

While the United States, the European Union and others have essentially banned the import of wild-caught birds, Canada has yet to follow suit.

Birds come to Canada from as far away as Africa, Asia and South America. Canada also serves as a stopover for shipments of birds on their way to other countries.

Dubois says no matter where they come from or where they end up, the trade causes birds to suffer.

“For example, before they even reach the consumer, as many as 75% of parrots taken from the wild die from stress, disease, rough handling, crushing, asphyxiation or dehydration during capture and transport.”

She notes that in order to feed the demand of the exotic bird market, baby birds are stolen straight from their nests as eggs or chicks while their helpless parents look on.

“Older individuals may be caught in mist netting or fishing line snares or lured onto sticky traps. Apart from the sheer terror this causes, many birds are injured in the process,” she said.

“They are often overcrowded in poorly ventilated containers without protection from fluctuating temperatures and are not provided with adequate food and water.”

And, she added, although captive-bred birds don’t face the stress of capture, they can still suffer.

As countries have clamped down on the exotic bird trade, attention has turned to captive breeding, leading to a rise in large-scale operations which are basically the “avian equivalent of puppy mills.”

“These “bird mills” tend to keep birds in small, barren cages, depriving these sensitive, intelligent animals of the physical space, social interaction and stimulating environments they require,” says Dubois.

“It’s important to note that, even when they’re bred in captivity, birds aren’t considered domesticated. They still have the same needs as their wild counterparts.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, adds Dubois, it’s also important to be aware of the disease risk posed by the exotic bird trade.

“The close confinement and highly stressful conditions associated with capture and transport makes birds more susceptible to infection, and endangers the people and other animals who come into contact with them.”

To see the petition, click here.