Cage Bird Regulations

Abstract

(The fallowing paper was presented at a Pet Bird Breeders and Retailers Seminar at Penn State University a few months ago. Dr. E.T. Mallinson of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture was addressing bird breeders and retailers in the State of Pennsylvania but his comments and suggestions are pertinent to all bird breeders amt dealers in the country. Editor)

Veterinarians and businessmen should discuss their shared goals. One of these goals, of course, is the safeguarding of bird health. Veterinarians in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry work in many different ways, to protect the pets that so many families enjoy, and to protect the income and investments of businessmen in the pet and livestock industries.

State veterinarians share your concern with safeguarding the public from psittacosis and salmonellosis which may be spread by pet birds. We share your concerns in safeguarding the birds themselves from the discomforting and life robbing effects of disease. We share your concern for a business climate and image that enables your enterprise to survive and flourish. And we share your concern in preventing transmission of diseases from caged bird flocks to food production flocks and vice versa.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS

Movements of birds into the United States from other nations are not directly covered by state laws. The agencies of the federal government most concerned with international movements of birds are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Health and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. These agencies are working to prevent unwanted livestock, human diseases and pest species from import into the United States. Customs agents are also involved in the import picture, working to prevent jeopardizing the national security by illegal entry of any kind of product, dead or alive.

The Federal Department of Health has given USDA the responsibility for supervision of a 30-day Aureomycin treatment of imported birds to prevent psittacosis. For this purpose, USDA maintains and supervises a number of both federal and private quarantine stations where foreign birds must spend a 30-day quarantine and observation period. Some pet importers are now maintaining their own quarantine stations overseas to screen out undesirable shipments before import into the United States. The 30-day period may be extended if laboratory results suggest the possibility of Newcastle disease.

Should Newcastle disease be found, the entire shipment is rejected. During calendar year 1976, 154 shipments were offered to private quarantine facilities, the most used facilities for pet birds. Of these shipments, 32 were refused, 21 percent of the total. Half of the refused shipments were killed and the other half were returned for distribution in nations with less stringent requirements.

Birds subjected to good veterinary supervision in their country of origin have low rejection rates when shipped into U.S. quarantine stations. Unfortunately, birds from nations with weak programs have a less favorable chance of entry when submitted to private or federal quarantine stations. The resulting supply and demand situation has made bird smuggling sufficiently profitable to be attractive to criminal elements in the United States and other countries.

Millions of taxpayers' dollars have been spent correcting the activities of smugglers, whose hunger for the dollar outweighs their concern for a healthy food supply and their own family's health. Smugglers seem to have the interests of dealers at heart in providing desirable species at a lower cost. But the net result of smugglers and people riding their coattails is that the business of reputable pet shops are put in jeopardy by disease and tarnished images. The U.S. Customs Service and USDA are increasing their efforts with some success in the identification, apprehension and prosecution of smugglers. In the final analysis, only the pet bird industry itself can solve the smuggling problem.

Following recent discussions with representatives of the pet bird industry, the USDA designated a telephone number to which anyone with information relating to the smuggling of birds could anonymously call and report. Although this activity is a regular function of the U.S. Customs Service, this USDA number provides an alternative to persons who might be reluctant to call the Customs Service. Information on bird smuggling can be reported by calling 301436-8061 during regular working hours {8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time).

Bits and pieces of information that you could forward are valuable even if piecemeal. Your iformation may fit in with other information already received. This system keeps the caller's identity unknown, providing USDA with information while being safe, effective and con-. venient for the caller.

 

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