DS>BH> Right. Because to these people, there is no long term, only the short
DS>BH> term or in other words cash in hand this month. These birds are a cash
DS>BH> in hand commodity only. They don't really care about the birds or the
DS>BH> rainforrests. If we don't import and buy the birds neither is going to
DS>BH> be worth anything to them. The forests will not be preserved if we
DS>    Also is a point I believe we spoke about before, I remember when 15 
ea
DS>ago the whole idea of captive breeding Amazon parrots seemed to be almost
DS>impossible according to a lot of people. But after it became appearant 
hat
DS>there would be no more imported, people worked harder to try to get 
reedin
DS>pairs set up and breeding successfully (necessity is the motherhood of
DS>invention). Now I am a little concerned that if they start flowing in 
gain
DS>there may be less incentive to captive breed. It may once again be more
DS>economic to buy imports for resale then to grow your own, I personally 
hin
DS>this would be a setback to aviculture.  I would hope maybe they would
DS>stick to adolescent birds instead of babies or older birds.  Babies could
DS>cause a sag in the captive raised market, and taking older birds would 
eem
DS>to be like taking the natural breeders out of the wild..
DS>           What do you think?
DS>    Dave
 I just think that in the future the birds won't be there if they aren't
 worth anything. If countries won't buy them, therefore they can't sell
 them, then they won't protect the habitat. Therefore they will probably
 be good and gone in 50 years or less. I'm not thrilled with imports
 open to the general market. I think it's better for all involved to
 keep domestic birds on the open pet market. Certainly better for the
 breeders.
About the very young and very old captives being on the market, Howard
told me that was what was usually caught because that was the easiest to
catch. They don't pick and choose in the wild.
But there could be some importation for breeding stock to qualified
persons. That way the birds would be worth something to their native
countries. Currently under WBCA standards some birds are supposed to be
able to be brought in but in reality they are lost in the red tape. And
the volume is ludicrous. They literally are not worth keeping to the
other countries.
Also I think people here at least in the states are now used to handfed
birds and are also used to breeding birds domestically.
 * SLMR 2.1a * Famous last words: "Watch me goose that sleeping Dragon!"
--- GEcho 1.00
---------------