Campaigning for Species: The Grey Parrot Trade in Ghana

Campaigning for Species:Campaigning for Species:The GreyThe Grey ParrotParrot Trade inTrade in

GhanaGhana

ByBy Gerard H.O. BoakyeGerard H.O. Boakye

Fundraising, Marketing & Corporate AffairsFundraising, Marketing & Corporate Affairs Ghana Wildlife Society Ghana Wildlife Society

Effects of the Grey Parrot Trade in Ghana

• Introduction-The Species and where it occurs

• The trade in West Africa

• Impacts of the Trade

• Strategies

• Past Efforts / Campaigns

- Recent Developments / Conclusion

Introduction-The Species & where it Introduction-The Species & where it is is

•Redtail subspecies (Psittacus erithacus erithacus)- To the East of Cote d’Ivoire across to Zaire

•Timneh/maroon tail (Psittacus erithacus timneh) - West of Cote d’Ivoire, to as far as Guinea: less intelligent, less colorful much lower price on the Int. mkt.

The Species and where it occurs:

Species for Trade: Red-tail is further divided into two races • “The West African”,

“Ghanaian" or “Ordinary” red-tails or grey. – smaller, more intelligent, more preferable

“Central African” or “Congo” greys.-much larger & healthier, higher price premium over the red-tails

TODAY, Only

•GHANA & NIGERIA

- Have significant populations

•Ghana & Nigeria

- Also have total bans on commercial exports for the international pet trade

-

However, it is their parrots that flood the international market

The trade in West Africa cont.• Between 1983 & 1989

- 346,782 grey parrots exported from 20 African countries

• Including SENEGAL & TOGO non-parrot range countries

• During the same period 10,405 were exported from other parts of the world

The trade in West Africa cont.

• 61 countries in all between that period were recorded to have exported African Grey

• Parrots are endemic to only 23

• In the past the specie has been traded in both LEGALLY and ILLEGALLY from several countries even those with no populations

• However in all Ghana & Mali have shown decline in trade

The trade in West Africa cont.

• This international trade, is characterised by FRAUD

• Export from non-parrot endemic countries

• Dealers manipulating CITES permitting systems & under declaring export numbers

• Trading countries incapable of proper monitoring and control of exports

The trade in West Africa cont.• The scientific monitoring and legalistic

requirement of IUCN Article IV have not been met by many countries

• Although EU countries have banned imports the US & South Africa market continues to be open

• Birds being smuggled from home range, through distant non-trading countries with no embargo, then to major markets

Impacts of the trade in Ghana • There is no legal parrot trade in

Ghana so

• Movement of birds are illegal

• Hence mortality is high, from

- inhumane manner of concealing parrots

- night operations to capture & process

- secret holding facilities,

- birds used in smuggling diamonds

- Stress & death from long distance travelling by road

Other issues/threats to the species • Habitat loss from other resource exploitation

• Inadequate scientific surveys for baseline data on population

• Lack accurate assessment of effects of exploitation

• Poor enforcement of wildlife laws by national border authorities at exit ports

Campaigning for the Species Past Efforts / Campaigns

• The Wildlife Clubs adopted the head of the parrot as a logo to urge Ghanaian children to speak out against the inhumane trade in parrots

• GWS led wildlife club members to appeal to judges in the US to give max sentence to an illegal exporter

• WCG members wrote to the President of Ghana to influence the release of several parrots intended for export and the prosecution of the exporter.

• Finally WCG endorsed the total ban of

parrot exportation; with a big match to express appreciation and educate the public.

Campaigning for the Species Past Efforts / Campaigns

Campaigning for the Species Strategies:

Advocacy & Lobbying • Need to step-up lobbying & advocacy to

maintain the ban on trade in Ghana

• Need to support the transfer of the species from Cites Appendix II to I

• Enhancing the status &capacity of the Ghana Wildlife Division for better enforcement of the ban

• Improve, equip and provide subvention for Scientific Authority in Ghana & other countries to be efficient

• Public awareness

• Introduce a diplomatic dimension to address the big economies & players in the market

• Address & lobby the role of Airlines

• Promote cross border collaboration approach of natural resource management

• Investigate the captive breeding options very well before recommendation

•Ban the big parrot markets; the US Market

Challenges

• Funding:

• Policy makers

• Law enforcement agencies

• External partners

• Market countries

• Neighbouring countries

Conclusion Recent Developments

• COP13 to CITES meeting, Bangkok Thailand October 2004

The United States Department of the

Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service on Dec 5th 2003 requested for Ghana’s support on a proposed move of the parrot from

Appendix II to Appendix I

ConclusionThe art is long and

life is short, we need to move on

You guys better

move quick

Once again we rely on the reputable strength of the BLI partnership

MEDASI !THANK YOU !