International groups rally to aid 500 African Grey parrots seized by government officials in first crackdown of illegal parrot trade.
KAVUMU, DRC. Sept. 27, 2010 –
On September 18, 523 African Grey Parrots were confiscated by authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in central Africa and sent to the Lwiro Primate Sanctuary. Funding from international wildlife groups is being urgently summoned to assist the sanctuary in dealing with the birds. The first of its kind in the DRC, this confiscation represents an important step towards permanently ending the wildlife trade for this imperiled species, threatened by decades of unsustainable levels of trade.
The shipment of Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) was bound for Singapore and seized by government officials at a regional airport in Kavumu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The birds were taken to Lwiro Sanctuary, which is run by three partners : Intitut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature ICCN, Centre de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles, CRSN and a team of international NGOs led by Coopera. Lwiro is a primate rescue center which houses over 100 orphaned chimpanzees and monkeys, with no existing facilities for birds. The arrival of these parrots to the rescue has caused tremendous strain on staff and reserves, necessitating an appeal for help. “We cannot do this alone,” said Carmen Vidal, manager of Lwiro Sanctuary. “We didn’t have much warning. We were just told these parrots are coming on Saturday and then they were here. We are doing the best we can. The government institutions, ICCN and CRSN, are doing a great job on law enforcement and the efforts of the DRC government authorities are commendable; we are very pleased that they are taking this strong stand on behalf of wildlife! ”
The confiscation came too late for twenty-nine of the Greys: the birds were found dead in their crates or died afterward. Some of the nearly 500 remaining birds were found to be tied to one another by one wing. They also had no food or water for an unknown period of time. Their situation requires immediate stabilization.
In response to this emergency the World Parrot Trust (WPT) is providing technical guidance and initial funding to support the birds’ first aid needs and coordinating activities with the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) to get further support to Lwiro Sanctuary as quickly as possible.
"We're thrilled that the authorities seized this illegal shipment of grey parrots,” stated Dr. James Gilardi, Executive Director of WPT. “This effort sends a powerful signal that they are serious about protecting these birds from trapping. With adequate support, our partners in the DRC should be able to successfully release these birds back to the wild where they belong."
The initial aid will cover the short-term needs of the parrots, and in the coming weeks the birds will need intensive rehabilitation to ready them for release back into the wild. Many of the birds had their wings damaged by being tied to one another to prevent them flying, and as a result they will require assistance to re-grow lost feathers. Other support will be needed including veterinary assistance, proper nutrition, and the construction of large flights to encourage exercise. Public support will be sought through the WPT’s FlyFree program (http://www.parrots.org/flyfree).
Although this is the first such confiscation in the DRC, in recent years, similar illegal shipments have been confiscated several times in West Africa. Over a three-year period over 2796 Grey Parrots have been taken from traders, rehabilitated at the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, and most of them released back to the wild. Grey Parrot shipments have also been seized recently in Kenya and Bulgaria.
The trade in great apes and parrots is seen by some experts as linked to one another: parrot traders selling apes and vice versa, dealers using established ape trading routes – which adds to the urgency that the trade must be stopped. According to CITES (the international convention monitoring global trade in endangered species), the DRC allows for the legal exportation of 5000 Grey Parrots each year. However, recent figures by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimate that almost one-quarter of existing Grey Parrot populations are being trapped for the trade each year – making Greys one of the most heavily traded parrots on the international market (1).
The trade for the wild-caught birds is driven by demand from international pet markets, principally in Asia and the Middle East. Although commonly bred in captivity, wild-caught birds are often sought as a cheaper alternative by bird traders. Population declines have been noted in Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda and parts of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2)
In an effort to further understand the impact of the wild parrot trade WPT is supporting a survey of bais (clearings) in the DRC, the TL2 Project, by Drs. John and Terese Hart. The study will address the usage of these types of areas by Grey Parrot populations and will determine how much local trapping of these parrots is occurring, working toward long-term protection of these sites in Africa.
Sources:
(1) BirdLife International: 2010 IUCN Red List http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1496&m=0
(2) Pilgrim et al. (in prep.)
Press contacts:
USA/WORLD
James D. Gilardi, Ph.D.
Director, World Parrot Trust
725 Peach Place
Davis, CA 95616
Voice/Fax +1 (530) 756-6340
Email: gilardi@worldparrottrust.org
UNITED KINGDOM
Alison Hales
Chairman, World Parrot Trust
Hayle, Cornwall TR27 4HB
Voice +44 (0) 1736 751026
Fax +44 (0) 1736 751028
Email: uk@worldparrottrust.org
ITALY & EU (European Union)
Cristiana Senni
Trustee, World Parrot Trust Italy
Voice +39-06-503-4575
Email: italy@worldparrottrrust.org
CANADA
Steve Milpacher
Director of Development, World Parrot Trust
Voice +1 (250) 766 9363
Email: smilpacher@worldparrottrust.org
About the World Parrot Trust:
Founded in 1989, the World Parrot Trust (WPT) works to conserve wild parrots and aid the welfare of captive parrots worldwide. Though field research and direct conservation, advocacy, education, and awareness programs, the WPT has aided 47 species of parrots in 30 countries.
More information:
1. Confiscated Grey parrots (photos): http://www.parrots.org/flyfree/congo500_photos.html
2. World Parrot Trust: http://www.parrots.org
3. Pan African Sanctuary Alliance: http://pasaprimates.org
4. Lwiro Primate Sanctuary: http://www.lwiro.blogspot.com/
5. TL2 Project: http://www.bonoboincongo.com/2010/05/20/cleaning-congo’s-parrots-out-of-congo/
6. International wild-caught bird trade information: http://www.parrots.org/flyfree/about-the-wild-bird-trade.html
Monday, September 27, 2010
Urge Interior Secretary Salazar to stop BP's next drilling disaster before it even happens
Right now the only thing standing between BP and its next big drilling disaster is the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. BP built a gravel drilling island three miles off Alaska’s north coast and classified the Liberty drilling project as “onshore,” thereby dodging the recent moratorium on offshore drilling in the arctic waters off Alaska. BP calls Liberty one of its “biggest challenges to date,” and if it moves forward, the company will push the limits of drilling in Alaska’s Arctic, just as it pushed the limits of deepwater drilling in the Gulf with the Deepwater Horizon.
What BP is proposing is crazy. The company’s current plan calls for a well to be drilled that extends two miles below the seabed and then six to eight miles sideways to get at the oil they believe lies below federal waters in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. It’s a disaster waiting to happen in a place where it’s simply impossible to respond to and clean up a large oil spill.
Allowing the company responsible for the worst oil spill in US history to attempt such a risky drilling project in the ice-infested waters of Alaska is the true definition of insanity repeating the same mistakes yet expecting different results. Take action now and ask Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to stop BP from moving forward with Liberty.
It took BP more than three months to end the gusher in the Gulf, and the region will be feeling the effects of the nearly 5 million barrels of oil that were spilled for decades to come. Alaska’s arctic marine environment is even more fragile than the Gulf of Mexico, and moreover, BP lacks adequate response assets in this remote part of the state where darkness, intense cold and storms, and solid or broken sea ice are the norm for much of the year. It’s no wonder the US Coast Guard called an oil spill in Arctic waters a “nightmare scenario.”
BP’s own analysis says there’s an eight percent chance of a large oil spill at Liberty. Would you get onto a plane if the pilot told you there was an eight percent chance of it crashing? Didn’t think so.
BP has already built Liberty Island and has received all of its permits except for one the federal government’s final sign off on BP’s “application for a permit to drill.” Secretary Salazar can deny this final permit, urge him to stop BP’s next big drilling disaster now.
GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL
What BP is proposing is crazy. The company’s current plan calls for a well to be drilled that extends two miles below the seabed and then six to eight miles sideways to get at the oil they believe lies below federal waters in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. It’s a disaster waiting to happen in a place where it’s simply impossible to respond to and clean up a large oil spill.
Allowing the company responsible for the worst oil spill in US history to attempt such a risky drilling project in the ice-infested waters of Alaska is the true definition of insanity repeating the same mistakes yet expecting different results. Take action now and ask Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to stop BP from moving forward with Liberty.
It took BP more than three months to end the gusher in the Gulf, and the region will be feeling the effects of the nearly 5 million barrels of oil that were spilled for decades to come. Alaska’s arctic marine environment is even more fragile than the Gulf of Mexico, and moreover, BP lacks adequate response assets in this remote part of the state where darkness, intense cold and storms, and solid or broken sea ice are the norm for much of the year. It’s no wonder the US Coast Guard called an oil spill in Arctic waters a “nightmare scenario.”
BP’s own analysis says there’s an eight percent chance of a large oil spill at Liberty. Would you get onto a plane if the pilot told you there was an eight percent chance of it crashing? Didn’t think so.
BP has already built Liberty Island and has received all of its permits except for one the federal government’s final sign off on BP’s “application for a permit to drill.” Secretary Salazar can deny this final permit, urge him to stop BP’s next big drilling disaster now.
GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL
PRESS ALERT: VENICE FOR VENICE BENEFIT CONCERT RAISES FUNDS TO AID GULF COAST RESIDENTS STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM THE BP OIL SPILL
VENICE FOR VENICE BENEFIT CONCERT RAISES FUNDS TO AID GULF COAST RESIDENTS STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM THE BP OIL SPILL
Favorite Bands of Venice, California Raise Their Voices For Spill Victims in Venice, LouisianaVENICE, CA (September 24, 2010) Venice for Venice www.veniceforvenice.com, the community campaign to aid families in Venice, Louisiana recovering from the oil spill that has devastated their town, brought together some of Venice, California's hottest bands for a benefit concert this week at Air Conditioned Supper Club. Guests rocked and rallied around Venice's namesake city to help deliver timely aid to the people harmed by the catastrophic spill.
"The small town of Venice, Louisiana is one of the Gulf Coast communities hardest hit by the oil disaster. Many families there are still waiting for compensation from BP and the government, and are without a source of income," said Melissa McGinnis, host of the hit green web series "Greenopolis TV" and founder of Venice for Venice. "We want this event to send the message that while the BP oil well may have been permanently sealed and the spill is fading from headlines, the people of Venice, Louisiana are just beginning to confront the long-term effects of an environmental disaster that will be felt for decades."
Performers at the benefit included Leftover Cuties, Gumbo Brothers, Christopher Hawley Rollers, Love in the Circus, The Luminaries, Adam Darling and Velvet Nation.
About Venice for Venice
After witnessing firsthand the devastation of the BP oil spill on Venice, Louisiana, "Greenopolis TV" host Melissa McGinnis was determined to make sure their plight was not forgotten. She established Venice for Venice to make Venice, California the center of fundraising in a city-wide campaign to assist Louisiana coastal residents. Greenopolis, Re-source spring water and Whole Foods Market Venice kicked off the campaign with an in-store promotion to raise funds through sales of Re-source spring water, t-shirts, hats and other items. Nestle Waters North America, Melissa McGinnis Productions, Whole Foods Market, Original Pet Food Company, Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions and the Venice California Rotary Club co-sponsored the benefit concert. To donate or for more information, visit www.veniceforvenice.com.
For more information:Roberta SilvermanRelay PR818-849-6347roberta@relay-pr.com
Favorite Bands of Venice, California Raise Their Voices For Spill Victims in Venice, LouisianaVENICE, CA (September 24, 2010) Venice for Venice www.veniceforvenice.com, the community campaign to aid families in Venice, Louisiana recovering from the oil spill that has devastated their town, brought together some of Venice, California's hottest bands for a benefit concert this week at Air Conditioned Supper Club. Guests rocked and rallied around Venice's namesake city to help deliver timely aid to the people harmed by the catastrophic spill.
"The small town of Venice, Louisiana is one of the Gulf Coast communities hardest hit by the oil disaster. Many families there are still waiting for compensation from BP and the government, and are without a source of income," said Melissa McGinnis, host of the hit green web series "Greenopolis TV" and founder of Venice for Venice. "We want this event to send the message that while the BP oil well may have been permanently sealed and the spill is fading from headlines, the people of Venice, Louisiana are just beginning to confront the long-term effects of an environmental disaster that will be felt for decades."
Performers at the benefit included Leftover Cuties, Gumbo Brothers, Christopher Hawley Rollers, Love in the Circus, The Luminaries, Adam Darling and Velvet Nation.
About Venice for Venice
After witnessing firsthand the devastation of the BP oil spill on Venice, Louisiana, "Greenopolis TV" host Melissa McGinnis was determined to make sure their plight was not forgotten. She established Venice for Venice to make Venice, California the center of fundraising in a city-wide campaign to assist Louisiana coastal residents. Greenopolis, Re-source spring water and Whole Foods Market Venice kicked off the campaign with an in-store promotion to raise funds through sales of Re-source spring water, t-shirts, hats and other items. Nestle Waters North America, Melissa McGinnis Productions, Whole Foods Market, Original Pet Food Company, Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions and the Venice California Rotary Club co-sponsored the benefit concert. To donate or for more information, visit www.veniceforvenice.com.
For more information:Roberta SilvermanRelay PR818-849-6347roberta@relay-pr.com
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