29th January 2007 - Trade in Wild Birds banned

Yorkshire and the Humber MEP Linda McAvan has welcomed the European Commission's decision to ban entirely the import of wild birds into Europe from July this year. Ms McAvan backed the campaign for a ban last year.

Keith Clarkson, Area Reserves Manager for the RSPB, based at the Old Moor Reserve in Manvers described the trade before Christmas as "shameful" and "obscene", saying that "the bird trade poses a very serious risk to many species of wild birds".

Estimates suggest that 750,000 wild birds are brought to Europe each year as part of the trade in exotic pets, whilst many more die before they are exported or whilst they are in quarantine. The European Food Safety Authority recently concluded that the welfare of birds captured in the wild and imported to the EU is very poor.

Linda McAvan said;

"This ban is a real victory for the campaigners. The trade in wild birds had become impossible to defend. The Commission has now responded to what we had to say, and from July there will be an end to this cruel and unnecessary trade in wild birds."