ABSTRACT
In the face of the widespread, unsustainable exploitation of wild birds, the basic alternatives for importing countries seeking to promote conservation are: first, a total ban on wild bird importation, and second, selective importation, based upon the identification of sustainable harvest practices. The former option would protect all wild bird species, satisfying the interests of conservation groups and individuals, while participants in the sustainable trade would be penalized. The latter option would filter out only the unsustainable use of birds in their wild habitat, while allowing the distribution of benefits to all stakeholders associated with the sustainable use of birds. This is a highly topical issue. In 1992 the US effectively banned the import of all wild birds under the Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA), and recently a consortium of NGOs has called on the EU to ban the import of all wild birds into Europe (World Parrot Trust, 2005). The latter has a list of signatories that includes over 200 organizations. While the precautionary principle is invoked to justify a complete ban, it can be argued that this approach leads to the risk of generating a potential increase in poaching and illegal trade.
