A new study published in Conservation Biology has raised concerns over the effectiveness of commercial captive-breeding of parrots as a strategy to reduce pressure on wild populations.
Commercial captive breeding has expanded rapidly in some parts of the world, and it is often assumed that this can support conservation by offsetting demand for birds trapped in the wild. Researchers from the World Parrot Trust teamed up with World Animal Protection to systematically review this assumption and better understand the impacts, both positive and negative, on conservation efforts for some of the world’s most threatened species.
The study reveals major knowledge gaps and identified numerous red flags, particularly regarding complex interactions between trade in different species and the risks of inadvertently facilitating and encouraging illegal and unsustainable trade in wild parrots. The authors urge extreme caution in the further expansion of parrot farming, particularly in countries where this is not yet an established practice, pointing to the practical challenges of reversing those policy decisions.
View the full paper via Open Access »
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