Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Bird registration is retained

Bird registration is retained

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (18/08) issued by The Government News Network on 23 January 2008

A decision to retain and modernise the bird registration scheme in England was announced today.

Controls on the keeping of birds will be directed at those native bird species whose conservation status would be most at risk from being taken from the wild for commercial activities.

The revised scheme will introduce proportionate regulation. Those bird species considered not at risk will be removed from the scheme and unnecessary burdens placed on responsible bird keepers lifted.

Joan Ruddock, Minister for Climate Change and Biodiversity, explained at a Westminster Hall debate this afternoon;

"I have given the future of the Bird Registration Scheme a great deal of thought over the last few months and am very pleased that we will be retaining the scheme in England for a limited number of birds.

"It is my belief that bird registration should only be targeted at those species, where taking them from the wild would affect their conservation. We will work to simplify administrative procedures for obtaining permits under CITES and Bird Registration to ensure minimum burdens on keepers."

Alongside the changes to species on the scheme, we will look at complimentary measures to protect native birds from being taken from the wild, and will look at streamlining the registration of species that are on both the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the bird registration scheme.

Complimentary measures which will be examined will include:

-Whether more stringent sales controls are required to protect certain species removed from the scheme.

-Discussions with the appropriate bodies on the effectiveness of using more CITES single transaction certificates for the species removed.

Notes to Editors

1. Registration of birds of prey and certain other bird species held in captivity is required under section 7 of the Bird Registration Scheme under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Birds that need to be registered with Defra are listed on schedule 4 to the Act. http://defraweb/wildlife-countryside/gwd/pdf/Sched4Birds.pdf

2. Defra undertook a review of registration under section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England, Scotland and Wales. The consultation started on 1st November 2006, and closed on 16 February 2007.

3. The consultation showed that currently the scheme does have a use as an enforcement tool if it is focused at the bird species with the smallest wild populations. However there was little evidence that the Bird Registration Scheme continues to be a useful conservation tool.

4. Since the consultation closed, the European Commission has prohibited the importation of wild birds into the EU. Therefore, the Government believes that non-native birds do not need to be registered as they can no longer be imported into the EU.

5. There are 59 species of birds that currently need to be registered with Defra if they are kept in captivity. The list can be found at http://defraweb/wildlife-countryside/gwd/pdf/Sched4Birds.pdf

6. We will work with devolved administrations to ensure there is a consistent approach to the Bird Registration Scheme across Great Britain

7. Single transaction certificates are valid only for the named holder in the country where the specimen is located. Any new owner would need to apply for a new certificate in order to use a specimen commercially.

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