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Service has produced fact sheets and posters, given lectures, and 

 published articles in the popular press on the WBCA. The Service 

 worked cooperatively with many of the organizations presenting 

 testimony here today to disseminate information on the WBCA and 

 coordinated with the wildlife departments of foreign governments, 

 and the avicultural, avian veterinary, zoological, conservation, 

 and animal welfare communities. 



The Service's first priority for implementation of the WBCA was 

 the issuance of regulations on permits under the WBCA which would 

 allow importations for scientific research, zoological 

 breeding/display, personal pets, and cooperative breeding 

 programs designed to promote the conservation of the species and 

 maintain the species in the wild. These were effective on 

 November 16, 1993, only three weeks after the date that the WBCA 

 prohibited all imports of CITES-listed exotic birds. 



As of August 8, 1995, the Service has issued over 550 permits to 

 import CITES-listed exotic birds for scientific research, 

 zoological breeding/display and as personal pets. The 

 applications to import prohibited species have involved a wide 

 variety of species listed in Appendices I, II, and III of CITES. 

 Ninety two percent of these applications have involved the import 

 of personal pets. Import applications for personal pets are, on 

 average, processed within two weeks of the Office of Management 

 Authority receiving a completed application. 



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