Can Germany contribute to the conservation of the Spix’s Macaw?

By the Federal Department for Nature Conservation, Bonn

Published in Papageien magazine, issue 2/2006

When in July 2005 a private individual applied for an import permit for Spix’s Macaws (Cyanopsitta spixii) – an adult pair and a young bird – from the Bundesamt für Naturschutz (Federal Department for Nature Conservation), it was met at first with some amazement and it seemed doubtful if the import of these birds could be permitted.

However the applicant was able to prove that he had no commercial interest in the importation. He stated his intention to co-operate with the Brazilian wildlife authority (IBAMA) in a breeding endeavour. In addition he stated that he intended to make the young macaw – a male hatched in 2004 - available on loan within the official breeding project. The application was supported by documentation proving the legality of the adult pair. These macaws were noted in the breeding register of IBAMA and had been legalised by their inclusion of the official breeding project managed by IBAMA. The proposed premises to accommodate the macaws detailed in the application had already been inspected by the local authority concerned. A comprehensive report on the inspection had been submitted by that local authority to the Federal Department for Nature Conservation with a recommendation that the importation be permitted.

According to a Notification by the CITES Secretariat in Switzerland issued in 2001 all CITES authorities worldwide are required to consult with IBAMA before granting permission to the movement of Spix’s Macaws. Therefore the Federal Department for Nature Conservation as the relevant authority in Germany contacted the CITES Secretariat and the Swiss CITES authority immediately. After examining the documentation for an export permit submitted in Switzerland for the three macaws it was allocated an origin code “C”. This meant that under international law the macaws met the requirements of the CITES breeding resolution. All the macaws were close rung and the adults were additionally micro-chipped.

In view of the extraordinary situation that the Spix’s Macaw is extinct in the wild, but listed in Appendix 1 of the Washington Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), all those involved were aware of the attention granting permission would arouse among international and national scientific and conservation circles. Therefore the application was very carefully considered in every aspect including the signal that such a transfer would give from a conservation political standpoint.

The opportunity to assist in the survival of the species in captivity and keeping the option open of introduction into the wild in the future by actively supporting a breeding project was assessed under the aspect “ Other considerations of conservation” and was given considerable weight in arriving at a decision.

At the same time it was also the firm intention of the Federal Department for Nature Conservation and the declared intention of the importer to exclude the macaws and any offspring from the possibility of commercial transaction of any type. Comprehensive conditions were formulated by the Federal Department to ensure this with restrictions on the import permit and additional undertakings by the importer.

In accordance with the CITES notification mentioned above the CITES authorities in Germany had informed IBAMA of the application to import Spix’s macaws and the conditions and requirements imposed for a possible permit. IBAMA had then agreed to the transfer of the macaws to Germany.

The permit was then finally granted subject to the following:

The macaws may only be imported and held for non-commercial purposes as part of a breeding programme for the conservation of the species Cyanopsitta spixi .

They may only be transferred with the agreement of the Federal Department for Nature Conservation. To this end the location of the premises for accommodating the imported macaws was fixed. Exemption from sale prohibition and commercial exhibiting of the birds were not granted. The importer is required to register the imported macaws and any offspring in the future with the Federal Department for Nature Conservation and IBAMA as CITES authority for Brazil. The importer is furthermore required to co-operate with the breeding programme managed by IBAMA. Any specimens of Cyanopsitta spixii bred as a result in captivity may only be held for non-commercial purposes and transferred with the permission of the Federal Department for Nature Conservation. These birds may only be available for the conservation programme for Cyanopsitta spixii managed by IBAMA, e.g as part of breeding co-operation or introduction to the wild. No exemption from sale prohibition would be issued for any macaws bred in captivity. The Federal Department for Nature Conservation reserves the right to impose further restrictions, amend or add to existing conditions with the objective to ensure that the imported macaws and any offspring remain available for the breeding programme for the conservation of the species Cyanopsitta spixii. After importation the attached conditions will set out the further use and legal basis for possession of the imported birds and any offspring.

What happened after the importation?

In accordance with the conditions imposed the importer made contact with IBAMA immediately after the transfer of the macaws to Germany, introduced himself as a holder of Spix’s macaws and expressed his desire for co-operation. IBAMA then invited him and other registered holders to a meeting in Brasilia to discuss aspects of further co-operation. The Federal Department for Nature Conservation was also invited to this meeting. Germany was thanked for its adherence to the CITES Notification issued in 2001 through the Federal Department and the restrictive conditions for the import permit welcomed. The Federal Department in turn agreed to prior consultation with IBAMA on any possible future transactions.

The discussions were very open. A wide-ranging co-operation in the diagnosis and precautions in dealing with Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD) as well as an updating of the breeding register and genetic testing of individual birds was agreed. The breeding pool available to IBAMA consists of just a few birds, so that the offer to make the young male bred in 2004 available to the breeding project met with great interest. The technical preparations and veterinarian testing for transferring the young male to the breeding project are already underway and the draft of an appropriate loan agreement is being considered by the relevant positions in Brazil for legal assessment and approval. All those involved hope that the young male will be transferred into the breeding project in the presence of a Brazilian government representative early in 2006 and that the adult pair remaining in Germany will have further reproductive success.

The participants at the 9^th annual meeting for the “Fonds für bedrohte Papageien” (Funds for Endangered Parrots) held on 29^th October 2005 in Cologne were informed about the successful transfer and information also appeared in the November and December issues of Papageien magazine. As a result the Federal Department for Nature Conservation received a number of queries and also enquiries from interested breeders. This article is intended to provide transparency for this unusual importation case and information on the circumstances surrounding the permit as well as the conditions relating to its granting.

End