§ Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ How many exotic birds from third countries not classified under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora agreements are quarantined in the United Kingdom each year. [HL3549]
§ Lord Whitty:Exotic birds must be imported in accordance with the animal health requirements laid down in Commission Decision 2000/666/EC. The decision requires that all exotic birds (birds other than poultry) imported into the United Kingdom are quarantined for at least 30 days.
According to our records the number of exotic captive birds from third countries that were quarantined in the United Kingdom from 2001 to date are as follows:
- 2001—19,720
- 2002—115,177
- 2003—91,445
- 2004 (to 30 June)—44,200
We are unable to provide the number of exotic birds that were not classified under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as our records do not distinguish between CITES and non-CITES birds.
Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior asked Her Majesty's Government:
What data exist on the number of exotic birds that travel via the United Kingdom and are in the country for less than two months. [HL3550]
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§ Lord Whitty:Defra's system for recording animal movements does not record the length of time that imported birds are resident in the United Kingdom before they are exported and therefore we are unable to provide you with any reliable data. According to our records, 1,195 exotic captive birds travelled via the United Kingdom between 1 January 2002 and 30 June 2004.
Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the current guidelines concerning the importation of exotic birds from countries outside the European Union not covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora agreements. [HL3547]
§ Lord Whitty:All captive birds (birds other than poultry), regardless of whether they are covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, are subject to conditions and controls on animal health and welfare in transport laid down by Community law.
Exotic captive birds must be imported from third countries in accordance with the animal health requirements and veterinary certification as laid down by the European Commission (Commission Decision 2000/666/EC).
These import conditions ensure that only birds which are officially certified as being free from serious disease can be imported into the European Community. The birds must originate from a member country of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE—World Organisation for Animal Health) and be accompanied by health certification issued by an official veterinarian of that country.
Captive birds may only be imported into the European Community via an approved border inspection post where they undergo checks by an official veterinarian to ensure that the consignment complies with the import requirements.
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