If you keep, trade or breed exotic (non-native) birds in Australia there are some important things you need to know.

The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts regulates international trade in exotic birds in order to:

• help reduce illegal international trade in endangered species
• prevent the introduction of new diseases into captive and wild bird populations in Australia
• prevent exotic birds becoming established in the wild as pest species (feral animals)

Bird keepers who possess exotic birds must be able to prove the legal origin of their birds. The Australian Government has introduced a record keeping scheme to help bird keepers comply with this.

Customs media release

Parrot eggs smuggler to be deported – Thursday, 3rd April 2008

A 46-year-old Dutch national, who was arrested and charged by Customs when he attempted to smuggle exotic birds’ eggs into Australia, was today ordered to be deported after serving time in jail since his arrest last year.

Customs National Manager Investigations Richard Janeczko said, “Smuggling of wildlife including birds’ eggs into and out of Australia is big business to some people but it poses a real threat to the global environment and puts profits before the welfare of the animals and the future of endangered species.”

Antonius Duindam had pleaded guilty in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court to illegally importing 10 West African parrot eggs last November.

In sentencing Mr Duindam, the judge handed down a jail term of four months and 25 days, which he has already served, and his immediate deportation.

Customs officers at Sydney Airport discovered the eggs concealed in a purpose-made body vest when they searched Mr Duindam who had travelled from the Netherlands via Hong Kong.

He was arrested by Customs investigators and has remained in custody until his sentencing today.

Mr Janeczko said the sentence reflected the seriousness of wildlife smuggling.

“Australia has some of the strongest wildlife protection laws in the world. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the export and import of wildlife products is strictly controlled and policed.

“The smuggling of birds’ eggs into Australia is also a concern for health reasons as they pose a high quarantine risk with the real possibility of introducing diseases into the environment,” he said.

Media inquiries:
Customs Media 02 6275 6793

Customs media release

Customs arrests man over live snakes in the post – Thursday, 3rd April 2008

Customs has arrested and charged a Melbourne man with trying to smuggle four valuable live snakes into Australia.

A 32-year-old Ferntree Gully man will face Melbourne Magistrates Court today charged with four counts of importing a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) specimen under Section 303CD of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The charges each carry a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and/or a $110 000 fine. The snakes, believed to be green tree pythons, were sent from South Africa in separate parcels in late March.

The parcels were intercepted by alert Customs and Quarantine officers at the Sydney International Mail Centre using state of the art x-ray equipment.

Inquiries led Customs investigators to execute search warrants in the Melbourne suburbs of Cranbourne, Belgrave South and Ferntree Gully yesterday with the assistance of officers from the Department of Sustainability and the Environment.

Customs National Manager for Investigations, Richard Janeczko, said wildlife smuggling was a cruel practice carried out with little or no thought for the welfare of the animals.

“It’s a big business with some specimens attracting high prices among collectors,” he said. Mr Janeczko said the snakes were protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

“Australia has been a signatory to CITES since 1974 in an effort to help stamp out the illegal international trade in wildlife,” he said.

Media note:
Images of the snakes can be found in the photo gallery.

Media inquiries:
Customs Media (02) 6275 6793

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