Wild bird trade ban 'should stay' (BBC) {and not just because of bird flu}

[eppur_se_muova]

A temporary ban on importing wild birds into the UK to prevent the spread of bird flu should remain in place, conservationists have said.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) claims the ban has saved hundreds of thousands of exotic birds from death or a life in captivity.

It was imposed when imported birds died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu while in quarantine in Essex in October 2005.
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"The import ban has thrown thousands and perhaps millions of birds a lifeline and it would be a tragedy if the ban were to be lifted when it is reviewed in December," said Sacha Cleminson, senior European advocacy officer at the RSPB.

"We already know that this could happen because the EU is under pressure from some of the countries that export exotic birds.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6089730.stm