Dutch Law Bans hand-rearing of Young Parrots: What's Your Op

[findi]

Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a zoologist and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo.
This month (July, 2014) the Netherlands became the first country to outlaw the hand-rearing of parrots. The law covers all Psittacines, including parakeets, cockatoos and lovebirds, and imposes fines and/or jail time upon violators. Bird breeders and private owners may not remove nestlings from their parents before the young are feeding on their own and otherwise independent; species-specific time frames are set out in the legislation. The process of hand-rearing, long touted as a means of bonding parrots to people, has been linked to a host of behavioral and health problems. While several countries extend similar protections to young dogs, cats and monkeys, the Dutch law is the first to include birds. Read the rest of the article here http://bit.ly/1oZUQBH
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Thanks, Frank

[Tiaris]

All I can say about that is the Dutch legislators must have plenty of spare time & crime rates in Holland must be incredibly low.

[findi]

All I can say about that is the Dutch legislators must have plenty of spare time & crime rates in Holland must be incredibly low.

Thanks...I believe crime rates are low...but that may be due to the fact that quite a bit that is considered criminal elsewhere is legal (as far as I know!). Best, Frank

[Craig52]

I feel sorry for the Dutch being dominated by stupid laws and also agree with Tiaris. Myself and others are soon going in to bat for some silly proposed laws for keeping some foreign finches that have been here for 100 years and are expected to colonise our State. Craig

[arthur]

Putting aside the stupidity of enacting the law . .

How in the world is it going to be enforced

And, unless the Dutch have a 'guilty until proven innocent' legal system, how will they ever get a conviction

Don't think that this will be much of a concern to Dutch parrot breeders

[SamDavis]

Does sound like an impossible law to enforce. On the surface this seems to smell of radical animal liberation interference. I haven't read the details but does this mean you must watch chicks starve in the nest if parents are not feeding them? There are definitely right and wrong ways to hand raise parrots, just like there are right and wrong ways to do most things. The best solution for Aus. Aviculture is for the industry/hobby to self-regulate effectively before the animal libbers get their claws into our pollies - easier said than done.

[Tiaris]

I don't necessarily agree that we need to self-regulate at all - rather to demonstrate and encourage desirable standards of avicultural best practice as the way to go to all & sundry.
The thought of any additional regulation makes me shudder whether "self-inflicted" or otherwise.

[SamDavis]

I do need to explain what I mean by self-regulate a bit I suppose - it's just an idea and I would like others to flesh it out over time. I'm thinking a voluntary registration system something like that used by ANKC and Dogs NSW - http://www.dogsnsw.org.au/breeding/how- ... eeder.html. Breeders agree to abide by the code/regulations and the association takes responsibility for initial acceptance of new breeders and ongoing compliance monitoring. On the whole the public respects the dog breeder registration system and so too does government. Similar registration systems operate for professions. They cause the public to positively select in favour of those doing the right thing (rather than wasting resources on those doing the wrong thing). Even if you're against this idea, it is surely better than crazy new bird laws? Just thinking aloud here.... nothing more than that....

[Tiaris]

What would be the purpose of introducing a registration system for birds similar to dogs? I can't for the life of me see that it could result in any improvement to aviculture or captive birds other than to place yet one extra impediment into trying to encourage prospective new aviculturists into the hobby and to further unnecessarily inhibit our enjoyment of aviculture.
We need to be mindful that the general standard of care given to birds in aviculture has improved significantly over time and this is continuing all the time. I can remember when the average bird aviary was no better than the average chook pen and I don't consider myself to be old yet. Look at how finch diets and health management have improved over recent decades. We need to be proud of these advances and should promote these facts to government in defending aviculture from any unwarranted regulations. The way to prevent unwarranted regulatory intrusions into our hobby is to strenuously argue against them and defend aviculture by highlighting the improvements in animal welfare which have evolved ( and are continuing to evolve) in line with broader community expectations, not to be the architects of our own encumberances. I won't support any aviculturists shooting me in the foot to "help" me.

[arthur]

I won't support any aviculturists shooting me in the foot to "help" me.

And they are out there

My good wife says that when I die she is going to inscribe on my headstone: "He Never Volunteered . ."

I think I prefer: "You Don't Open Your Mouth . . You Don't Catch Flies . . "

But on a cost per letter basis she will probably get her way