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found that the W6CA applies to Appendix III birds, regardless of their origin. If and when 

 Congress reauthorizes this Act, we recommend the issue be clarified to reflect what we believe 

 was Congress's original intent. 



Aid to Range States 



One of the stated purposes of the act is to promote the conservation of exotic birds by 

 "assisting wild bird conservation and management programs in the countries of origin of wild 

 birds." In this respect the Act has fallen far short of its intent. When the European Community 

 imposes a ban on bird imports from a range state, or sets restrictive quotas, it also supports 

 efforts to collect the information necessary to determine safe levels of harvest and reopen the 

 trade. The United States should do likewise. Coincidentally, a source of funding has recently 

 become available to the Fish aiKl Wildlife Service that can and should be used for this purpose. 

 The Department of the Interior and the Agency for International Development have initiated a 

 joint program to improve the capacities of developing countries to conserve biological diversity 

 and promote sustainable development. A portion of the ftinds are to be used to improve the 

 capabilities of developing countries to implement CITES. We urge the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 to use funds under this program to help range states design wild bird management programs that 

 will meet the requirements of the WBCA and to conduct field research necessary to support those 

 management programs. 



Summary and Conclusions 



• The United States plays a huge role in international trade in wildlife; at more than $1 

 billion in annual imports, this coimtry remains the world's largest wildlife market. Our level of 

 vigilance and active assistance helps determine the fate of many commercially-valuable species, 

 and we believe that the U.S. therefore has a special responsibility to maintain strong policies and 

 laws to ensure that commerce in wildlife ~ and in this case, birds - does not put species at risk. 



The Wild Bird Conservation Act remains a viable framework through which the U.S. can 

 control imports of birds. Although there have been a few glitches in its implementation, they can 

 be fixed administratively, and do not ~ with the one exception noted below - require a change in 

 the law. We note that the Act does not appear to have resulted in a shortage of birds for sale as 

 pets, nor have prices risen notably. If the Act is reauthorized, it should not be tinkered with, but 

 rather it should be given a chance to work as it was intended. Our specific recommendations are 

 as follows: 



o Final regulations implementing the Act should be issued promptly. 



o The Fish and Wildlife Service should be provided sufficient funds for the Act's 

 implementation. 



o Assistance should be provided to range states to help them manage their wild bird populations 

 sustainably. 



o The Fish and Wildlife Service should focus its limited resources on regulations enstiring that 



