no 



3. Direct the Secretary to fully implement the WBCA by expeditiously 

 promulgating user-friendly, reasonable, and workable regulations 

 with respect to approval of foreign captive breeding facilities and 

 foreign sustainable-use conservation programs. 



4. Amend Sections 106 and 107 of the WBCA to ensure that captive 

 bred exotic birds may be freely imported into the United States 

 pursuant to regulations which contain incentives, not disincentives. 



5. Amend Section 1 12(4), to exempt progeny of approved U.S. 

 cooperative breeding programs from any tracking requirements. 



6. Periodically convene Congressional oversight hearings, at least 

 annually, until the Committee is satisfied that the WBCA has been 

 properly implemented. 



It should be emphasized that PLJAC is not asking Congress to rewrite the 

 proposed FWS regulations. Rather, we are requesting that the original Congressional 

 intent be made clear to insure that the final regulations do not contravene this intent. 

 Minor legislative modifications to the WBCA are required. 



While we are sensitive to the fact that the Congress authorized $5,000,000 

 annually for fiscal years 1993 through 1995, far less has been actually appropriated. 

 Moreover, the Administration, to the best of our knowledge, has not requested 

 appropriations the past two years. Thus, implementation takes a back-seat to other 

 programs; foreign assistance as contemplated by Section 114(16 U.S.C. 4913) is 

 meaningless; and exporting countries remain bewildered why the equally concerned 

 European Union continues to work with them to import wild-caught birds while gathering 

 data and implementing conservation management programs. At this point, the United 

 States remains isolated in its inability or unwillingness to adequately address the issues 

 presented. 



Passage of the WBCA was the result of a significant compromise among a number 

 of varied interest groups. Rather than adopting an outright ban on imports, we thought 

 that the Congress elected instead to continue its support of sustainable utilization by 

 including in the WBCA specific provisions that allow for importation of captive-bred as 

 well as wild-caught CITES listed species. Accordingly, the WBCA was designed to 

 promote conservation of exotic birds by: 



1 . Ensuring that all imports into the United States are biologically 

 sustainable and not detrimental to the species. 



2. Ensuring that imported birds are not subjected to inhumane treatment 

 during capture and transport. 



