AFRICAN GREY PARROT (Psittacus Erithacus)

AFRICAN GREY PARROT (Psittacus erithacus)

Proposal to transfer the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) from Appendix II to Apendix I of CITES

Recommendation: Support

PROPOSAL: CoP17 Prop. 19 - Transfer the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) from Appendix II to Appendix I according to the following biological criteria of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16), Annex 1, Paragraph C) i): A marked decline in the population size in the wild, which has been observed as ongoing. Paragraph C) ii): A marked decline in the population size in the wild, which has been inferred or projected on the basis of a level or pattern of exploitation and a decrease in quality of habitat and a decrease in area of habitat because of high levels of deforestation in certain areas.

Historically, African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) Wild populations of African grey parrots have been occurred in large numbers in lowland tropical greatly reduced due to the pet trade and destruction rainforests of West and Central Africa. Seven African and fragmentation of their habitat. It is estimated that countries sponsored the proposal: the populations have decreased by 50- Angola, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria, 7 African countries 90% in some areas of distribution. The Senegal and Togo; plus, the European sponsored the proposal species is extinct or has very low Union and the United States; and nine plus the EU and USA; numbers in Angola, Benin, Burundi, more African countries indicated Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea- support during the consultation phase: and 9 more African Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Kenya, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea- countries indicated Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo. Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Central African support. Republic, Republic of Congo and African grey parrots are highly Rwanda (see map). vulnerable to overexploitation. They are slow to reproduce, only breeding at around 3-5 years of age and producing one to two chicks each

year. Their gregarious social behavior at roosting, export quota (3,000 per year). Until January 2016, the feeding and breeding sites makes them easy targets for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had a quota of trappers. The African grey parrot is highly coveted as 5,000 per year, but this quota was usually exceeded an exotic pet because of its extraordinary ability to and the use of forged permits was common. In vocalize, learn and imitate human language. January 2007, the Animals Committee imposed a ban of two years on exports and in January 2016, the 66th meeting of the Standing Committee of CITES recommended that all Parties suspend trade in African grey parrots from DRC.

African grey parrots are considered to be the third most traded wild-sourced bird. Exports of more than 1.3 million have been reported since 1975. However, due to high pre-export mortality from mishandling and unreported and illegal trade, the true number of parrots taken from the wild for international export may range between two and three million.

Capture for the pet trade is impacting populations of grey parrots and has been identified as a cause of population declines in at least 20 of the 22 range states. Unsustainable levels of harvesting are due to badly set quotas, poor regulation and management of trade, exceeded quotas, fraudulent permits, false reports of code C, stolen permits, photocopied permissions, reused permits due to limited capacity and resources of the authorities, high pre-export mortality, and a large illegal trade due to weak enforcement.

TRAFFIC recommends supporting this proposal on

In 1981, CITES Parties listed the African grey parrot in the basis that "clearly current measures in place to Appendix II because of the potential impact of protect this species from over-exploitation have international trade on wild populations. The species failed over a number of years and are continuing has been included in four Significant Trade Reviews of to do so. Given the above irregularities and the Animals Committee of CITES (1988, 1992, 2006, ongoing reported declines caused by trapping, a 2014). The Significant Trade Review showed that suspension of further trade from wild sources exports from 1994 to 2003 represented the capture of appears to be in the conservation interest of the up to 21% of the wild population each year. Currently, species". Cameroon is the only country that has published an

It is necessary to support African countries wishing to protect African grey parrots from extinction by including the species in Appendix I at CoP17 in South Africa.