Hoofstock & Bird Importation?

T

thorney_devil

Well-Known Member
Hoofstock & Bird Importation?

What is the go here, I understand Australia does not want the risk of Foot & Mouth disease from European countries (Hoofstock wise) but why hasn't importation come from Africa, North America, South America or New Zealand. Avian Influenza (Bird wise) but the same could be done if quarantine procedure are followed?

There are several quarantine procedures in place for these situations not to occur, aswell as the huge quarantine centre stop-overs on islands for intstance the Asian Elephant importation which saw our Elephant spend a few months on a island. I believe Christmas Island prior to thier arrivals into Sydney & Melbourne...

Australia spends so much money advertising Quarantine and it's message "Quarantine Matters" yet they dont seem to be interested in putting thier protocals or procedures into action.

Many exotic species held within Australia are gone, being phased out, inbred or drained off bloodlines for future breeding. Australia has a number of highly sucsessful breeding programs in action and place, So why is nothing being done?

The Australian government should be helping our zoo's not ownly in investing on the protection and insurance policies of the worlds threatened or endangered species but investing on the huge tourism pull these animals and thier exhibits could bring to the Australian economy?

With Pygmy Hippo's & Chilean Flamingoes basicly on thier way out. Are we not pushing for new bloodlines or breeding stock surely there must be a way or government loophole?

Come on guys voice your opinion on this matter... Surely people in the right places will read on this website?
 
Who says things are ever done logicaly? Glyn mentioned one reason, the power of the agriculural/livestock industry vs the power of the zoological industry. Which one is going to be able to have more say in the ear of the Federal Govt.?
 
thorney devil,

My thoughts exactly.

Incidentally, Europe-FMD being an issue in Australia (ignorance is bliss), we in Europe test our exotics far more rigorously then you might think! Blood and skin testing are done ... sometimes even thrice ... to satisfy the importer's national vet execs.

The paperwork and regulations it takes to import/export exotics are far more stringent than for the livestock industry (so, I really do not see that could be an issue at all). We guarantee our exotics are disease-free when they are imported/exported.

I suppose it is the same in Biosecurity-Australia ... where the lapses occur in the cattle industry itself (and these are being ignored as ... purportedly profit comes before veterinary health or animal welfare)!
(Yes this is another public complaint) :mad:
 
If FMD and AI were the only diseases of concern, then you probably could import more Pygmy Hippos and Flamingos.

Incidentyally, there was an Avian Quarantine station opened in Victoria during the 90's to allow the importation of birds into Australia. And, after more than 50 years of import prohibition, the first shipment of birds into Australia were........................domestic pigeons. The second shipment was of budgies. After that is was more pigeons and a variety of parrots (macaws, amazons, African Greys etc.)

Australian zoos had the opportunity to get more flamingos in the short time the station was opened, but for some reason did not import any.

:)

Hix
 
There's more than foot and mouth disease to worry about - how about rinderpest, anthrax, blue-tongue - the list goes on! Obviously, our grazing industries need protection against imported diseases, but surely veterinary medicine is so advanced that any species could be imported if subjected to the right testing, even if it meant that the animals involved were quarantined offshore for years. (THIS is where it gets expensive, and therefore a bit impractical.)

As for birds, with the opening of the Spottswood Quarantine station in the early 1990s we were told that there would be importation of parrots, finches, pheasants and waterfowl.

Yeah, Right!!!

What we got were some macaws (thank goodness) and, heaven help us, budgerigars (budgies? TO Australia?) After that the drawbridge was pulled up again - no more bird importation.
 
The budgies were british show birds which are very different from the wild and australian captive birds. I personally don't think that they were an improvement as their heads really are too big for the size of the birds.
 
Budgies on steroids. Twice the size as a normal budgie and, as Jay said, big boof-heads on them.

And despite quarantine, they have been accused of introducing avian megabacteria to Australia.

:)

Hix
 
It really is too bad that the importation laws for hoofstock are so strict. There are zoos in North America and Europe that have more antelope species than the entire continent of Australia, which is tough to swallow for major zoo fanatics. The lack of other species such as bears and cats also represents how little Australia has to offer, as a zoo like Cincinnati has around 15 species of small cat and another 5 big cats and that is a tiny amount compared to all the other major zoos in the upper northeast side of the United States.

However, Australia has all of those beautiful marsupials, birds, reptiles and amphibians that are rarely found in many zoos around the world. Tasmanian devils are everywhere and yet basically unheard of outside of Oz, koalas are rare, and then mammals like bandicoots, potoroos, dingos and opossums are scarcely ever found in zoos around the world. Something like 85% of all Aussie mammals are only endemic to the land down under, and that's why so many people visit as it's the one and only opportunity to see such fascinating animals. Maybe the new, mega-budget Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman film will also pull in more tourists...
 
What is the go here, I understand Australia does not want the risk of Foot & Mouth disease from European countries (Hoofstock wise) but why hasn't importation come from Africa, North America, South America or New Zealand. Avian Influenza (Bird wise) but the same could be done if quarantine procedure are followed?

-Australia's zoos might lack species diversity, but for most of the major groups of exotic mammalia displayed what it boils down to isnt quarantine per-se but instead the cost of maintaining small numbers of a range of species in a relatively isolated zoo region with a small number of participating institutions.
it costs over $40,000 to import a rhino to Australia when sourced, as with a white rhino male in the 1990s for Weribee from within the EEP. therefore it is simply inconceivable, cost wise, to think that Australian zoos could operate effectively as satellite breeding centres for either EEPS or SSPs for more than the number we currently have, some of which are still struggling from low numbers of zoos being involved.
there are import guidelines established for a full range of species. but importation of exotics into this country is a long, drawn out process and in many cases probably outweighs the potential conservation benefit, particularly when we live in a world of global disease exchanges and Australia is liable to tighten quarantine at the first sneeze.
quarantine is not perfect. though zoos are essentially quarantine centres and any species imported for zoos would probably pose minimal biosecurity risks i do not think you could justify the risk to our agricultural industry and wildlife/eco-systems all the same.
particularly as we have seen...
equine influenza, avian mega-bacteria and god knows what else slip through quarantine. pre-export/pre-import health screenings are all well and good, but mistakes can occur. indeed, you can be one of America's largest zoos and fully screen a rhino and still not find she is pregnant.
on the plus side, NZ zoos have made applications to MAF to import brazilian tapir from EEP and ASMP and whilst this application is pending 09 I believe it shows that some species at least are being thrown a lifeline.



"Many exotic species held within Australia are gone, being phased out, inbred or drained off bloodlines for future breeding. Australia has a number of highly sucsessful breeding programs in action and place, So why is nothing being done?"
-I agree. but our most succesful programs are for rhino, carnivores and big cats, primates and hopefully soon elephants which can be imported. this programs remain viable because fresh genetic stock can be imported. but if you look at how often, even with a regional population of over 30 sumatran tigers our zoos need to import new tigers to prevent inbreeding, at great cost, you can see our zoos cant be expected to effectively spread their resources to cover jaguars, pumas, african elephants or any other species you could think of.


"The Australian government should be helping our zoo's not ownly in investing on the protection and insurance policies of the worlds threatened or endangered species but investing on the huge tourism pull these animals and thier exhibits could bring to the Australian economy?"

-first and foremost, Australia's government should prioritse our indegenous fauna. many avian diseases may be introduced through bird migration patterns etc....you cant expect the Quarantine dept to be everywhere. but at the same time, conserving our native fauna here and not exposing them to exoitic diseases through the relaxation of quarantine laws is more important.
secondly, you ask any foreign visitor to Australia's zoos what they are there to see, and in the main its not exotics. our native wildlife is a big puller, one of the top 5 reasons people come to australia from overseas. reducing the risk to wildlife is a priority.



-sorry to be so negative. there are government loopholes to work; it seems even the home aquaria industry in Australia has more clout than our zoos and there are so many gaping holes in our quarantine policy its not funny. it seems tough on paper but the reality is millions of bacteria etc would be walked in by tourists with disty shoes every day. but you cannot risk our agriculture industry or its reputation to exotic diseases on paper and this is the reality our zoos have to deal with.
the second reality is that captive breeding programs on their own dont save a species. i think your argument has less to do with conservation and more with exotic animals being displayed/ CBP work best if they compliment in some way an in-situ program, and to justify the need or cost to import new species i think Australian zoos will increasingly have to come up with such proposals. Australian zoos, just like our migration policy, should not be an open door policy. exotic animal species should only be let in IF there is a real need and an overwhelming benifit to the species or conservation and an underwhelming biosecurity risk.
and i think we all need to get a bit realistic about the cost. i can rationalise quarantining a panda or a polar bear etc, but a banded duiker??? id love to see one, but theyre hardlg going to pay their way once they get here
 
Well said Glynn. Agree 100%.

:)

Hix
 
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