88 



984 



Commentary 



[Auk, Vol. 108 



during the detrimental effects of the trade in exotic 

 live birds on wild populations, its simplicity and ef- 

 fectiveness of regulations, its ethical consistency in 

 treatment of native and foreign wildlife, and its cost 

 effectiveness. During a moratorium, experimental 

 programs of captive breeding and ranching could be 

 carried out in selected exporting countries to find 

 solutions to the problems of disease control, illegal 

 laundering of birds, and other assodated problems. 

 In our view, a moratorium would be held open for 

 limited importations of birds as part of internation- 

 ally recognized sdentific studies of birds in captivity, 

 recovery efforts, or public exhibitions for educational 

 purposes. 



Concerr.ed dtizens and readers of The Auk can urge 

 their elected representatives to support the enactment 

 of an exotic bird trade act and to strengthen the pro- 

 posed legislation by strengthening quarantine reg- 

 ulations and enforcement requirements, and by de- 

 creasing the number of avenues for birds to be legally 

 imjjorted under these regtilations. 



Literature Qted 



Bhssinger, S. R., & E. H. BucH£R. 1991. Sustainable 

 harvesting of parrots for conservation. In New 

 World parrots in crisis: solutions from conser- 

 vation biology (S. R. Beissinger and N. F. R. Sny- 

 der, Eds.). Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution Press. In press. 



Collar, N. J., & A. T. Juniper. 1991. Dimensions and 

 causes of the parrot crisis. In New World parrots 

 in crisis: solutions from conservation biology (S. 

 R. Beissinger and N. F. R. Snyder, Eds.). Wash- 

 ington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution Press. In 

 press. 



INSIOPP, T. 1990. Numbers and value of wild birds 

 in trade. Paper presented at the XX World Con- 

 ference of the International Council for Bird 

 - Preservation, Hamilton, New Zealand. 



, S. Broad, & R. Luxmoore. 1988. Significant 



trade in wildlife: a review of selected species in 

 CITES Appendix n. Vol. 3: birxis. Cambridge, 

 United Kingdom, World Conservation Union 

 (lUCN). 



James, F. C. 1991. A round table discussion of bird 

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 ington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution Press. In 

 press. 



Lau, a., & D. Melville. 1990. Biological and eco- 

 nomic implications of the bird's nest trade in 

 • Hong Kong. Paper presented at the XX World 

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 Preservation, Hamilton, New Zealand. 



MULLIKEN, T., & J. B. Thomsen. 1990. U.S. bird trade: 

 the controversy continues although imports de- 

 cline. TRAFnC(USA) 10(3): 1-13. 



NiLSSON, G. 1989. Importation of birds into the Unit- 

 ed Sutes in 1985. Washington, D.C., Animal Wel- 

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. 1990. Importation of birds into the United 



States in 1986-1988. Washington, D.C., Animal 

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Thomsen, J. B., & T. A. MULUKEN. 1991. Trade in 

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Accented 20 June 1991. 



