Aussie Finch Forum

I found a current Australian company that say they export to USA,Canada and Europe.Can't be sure if it means the european goldfinch but they do say they deal with non native species.They also show a photo of one on their website.European goldfinches here are non native.Here is their link for a closer look http://www.animal-house.com.au/about.html

There are a number of people in that area of Maltese extraction trapping for this company.
If it is who I think it could be I would be surprised if he would do any favours for Australian aviculture,just seeing it as dollars and cents.
As Melb.spreads taking the thistle belt out,the numbers of wild Goldfinches will deminish until non of the winter flocks will exist.
Do we call that progress.

Its just a shame they aren't trapping the indian mynahs, starlings, sparrows, turtle doves, pigeons as well.

I'm going to add my 2 cents worth here. Goldfinches are as feral as Indian Mynahs and have no more right to invade the Australian landscape but they are a lot prettier. They may not compete with honeyeaters, small parrots or phalangers for food and nesting resources but the niche they inhabit is probably not totally unoccupied and if it wasn't for them (and sparrows) there might just be a few more Aussie finches around. We need to remember that Claude is not doing anything illegal by trapping and exporting these birds and surely it is in his best interest to ensure that the harvest is sustainable.

As for exporting common finches isn't it hypocritical to bemoan the fact that imports aren't allowed? I’d be vere happy to see some Aussie cordons or RFPF for sale here in Manila and the locals would love it even more if there were some new mutant zebra finches in the shipment too. I don’t expect either scenario to happen in the near future but there is no logical reason why it shouldn’t. No one wants to see genetic erosion occur if a species is endangered either in the wild or in captive populations. I don’t know what the figures are but I suspect that the number of aviary-bred birds people are debating is actually very small compared to the wild caught gold-finches. As E.orix pointed out it’s not Claude that’s causing the goldfinch’s decline, it’s the expansion of Melbourne’s urban fringe. Does Australia need to keep expanding it’s human population so that through the miracle of sustainable growth it’s citizens never have to pay the price of their lifestyle? The answer is self evident there but that off topic

As consumers we don't want to be exposed to higher prices if we've got to compete with an export market BUT if you’re an actual producer (and shouldn’t we all be) then aren’t you going to be very happy to get that enhanced export price? Australian agriculture (and I include aviculture) doesn’t need high levels of protection if regulations assist the producers because the whole idea of the industry is that it is sustainable. Once you dig up coal and export it then it’s not going to grow back but look after your resources and biological systems will continue to exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium. We all know finches aren’t coal so letting producers get the best price for their product is their incentive to get the production versus export equation right.

Well said GregH

I like Goldfinches. I know they are not native. And I would like to see lots of people breeding them here in Australia.
LML

My opinion is that it is important to stop the export of native birds and preserve its reproduction through the creation of oases.
Every one then, in own nation should breed these species in cages, and grow its local market, without tapping into the natural one.
In Italy, for the sake of continued catches we had 10 long years when the finches were very rare.
The work of man, along with the work of agriculture, can produce irreparable damage to the base money.

Nick

Nick, in Australia European Goldfinches are an introduced species and are not native.

which is why we are allowed to export. No australian finches have legally left the country for quite a while now.