Abstract
Aviculture United!
For the first time in the history of aviculture in the United States, a coalition of avicultural groups stood before the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on April 6 and presented their position on government mandated marking and certification. This meeting was to address only Section 114 of the WBCA: programs in the private sector for marking, certification of facilities, and conservation projects. The presentations were specific in detail and clear in intent: there is no need for governmenc required marking and certification. Many organizations and bird clubs sent letters to the USFWS and many sent representatives who spoke before an audience of 114 people, and presented their comments to the four representatives of USFWS in attendance: Dr. Susan Lieberman, Rosemarie Gnam, Mark
Phillips and Roddy Gabel. The
meeting had to be moved from
the original location due to the
large number of people in attendance
and therefore , started at
10:00 am and continued until 1:00
pm. Representatives from the following
organizations spoke·:
African Lovebird Society, Americ
an Federation of Aviculture ,
American Lory Society, Bird Clubs
of America, Canadian Parrot Association,
Florida Federation of
Avicultural Societies, International
Avicultural Society, International
Lory Society, International Parrotlet
Society, Model Aviculture
Program, National Cockatiel Society,
National Finch and Softbill
Society, and Society of Parrot
Breeders and Exhibitors.
Representa tive s fr o m lo c a l
clubs and clubs across the U.S .
made presentations: Arizona Avicultural
Society, Arizona Avian
Breeders, Arizona Seedcrackers Society
, Avicultural Society of
Tucson (AZ), Capitol City Bird Society
(CA), Central Pennsylvania
Cage Bird Club, Exotic Bird Breeders
Association (CA), Federation of
Pennsylvania Aviculturists, Kansas
Avicultural Society, Kentuckiana
Bird Society, Orange County Bird
Breeders (CA), Parrot Breeders Association
of Virginia, Philadelphia
Avicultural Society, Raleigh-Durham
Cage Bird Club (VA) and San
Diego bird Breeders. Twenty
states and 40 organizations were
represented at this meeting. In addition
, bird clubs from across the
U. S. sent letters to the USFWS in
support of the AFA position.
Representatives from other concerned
organizations and the pet
industry made presentations: Association
of Avian Veterinarians
was represe nted by Susan Clubb,
DVM; Association for Parrot Conservation
was represented by
Scott Derickson; Association of
Zoos and Aquariums was represented
by Don Bruning; Pet
Industry Joint Advisory Council
was represented by Marshall
Meyer; Mark Hagen represented
the Canadian Parrot Association;
Sun Seed Company was represented
by Jeff Clark; and World
Wildlife Fund was represented by
Ginette Remley.
Suzie Sanders of the Humane
Society of the United States and
Ann Michaels of the Environmental
Investigation Agency made
presentations . Teresa Telecky of
HSUS also attended. Laura Simons
of the New Jersey Wild Bird Regulatory
Division spoke for
required marking of birds to control
smuggling. This was the most
controversial presentation as Ms.
Simons indicated the New Jersey
bird law was very successful. This
is the most restrictive exotic bird
law in the U.S.
AF A Information Packet
The American Federation of A viculture
prepared and presented to
USFWS a packet which included
the AFA position paper on marking
and certification which stated
that no new regulations were
needed because the private sector
is quite effective in these two
areas. The packet also contained
information on p ast conservation
projects funded by AFA, as well
as the two major on-going projects:
the AFA Red-fronted Macaw
Project and the AFA Red Siskin
Project. Most of the members of
the AF A Board of Dire c to rs were
present, including Gary Lilienthal,
AFA Legal Counsel and Bob Berry,
AFA Executive Director. Mr. Berry
presented the AFA position to
USFWS.
In addition to the above, many
people interested in the WBCA
and its effects attended both the
aviculture unity meeting on
Wednesday evening and the meeting
held by USFWS on Thursday
mo rning. The meeting was viodeotaped
and audio-taped by the
AFA for future reference.