Wild Birds (Hansard, 18 May 1992)

§ Mr. Maclean

[holding answer 15 May 1992]: The Government keep this issue under very close review. Last year we endorsed the conclusions of the report prepared 49W for us by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee that we should continue to support the present framework of selective international controls on the wildlife trade and that we should refrain from a general ban, as this would remove a potentially important incentive to conserve species abroad. We regard the principle of sustainable use of natural resources as an important aspect of our approach to conservation worldwide.

We have vigorously pursued the JNCC's detailed recommendations for improved implementation of the current controls; in October last year we wrote to the European Commission urging it to propose EC-wide action and in March at the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species conference in Japan we pressed successfully for effect to be given by 115 countries worldwide to one of the JNCC's most important proposals. This will require exporting countries to make proper assessments of the impact of trade on certain species to avoid import bans by other countries.

The European Commission has now responded to our concerns by proposing a strong new regulation on the wildlife trade. We intend to make this a priority for our presidency of the European Community later this year.

With colleagues in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and food, we are also introducing a number of tighter controls to protect birds in transport. The United Kingdom played a prominent part at the CITES conference in gaining worldwide acceptance of the need to suspend trade in birds suffering unacceptably high mortality.