- Target:
- Cr Rae Gate; Cr Julie Walker; Gympie Mayor Cr Mick Curran; ALP A.Palaszczuk
- Region:
- Australia
Ban the sale of parrots and other birds in local markets and festivals. Due to the increasing unregulated parrot breeding industry which is taking a firm hold in the Mary Valley Region, our community and particularly our youth are being regularly exposed to the display of these hapless birds in cages, many of which are local birds such as lorikeets. These birds are being hand raised by back yard breeders depriving them of their parent's natural guardianship. This tenuous arrangement for the young bird sees it caged and dependent on the resources of their owner for its survival.
Individuals who purchase companion birds at markets and festivals often do so out of impulse without fully understanding the commitment required to provide life-long care for these birds. These outlets display the parrots in small cages and also sell these cages further reinforcing the idea that this is a perfectly reasonable state for a bird to live in. Few young people can afford the time and space to provide a parrot with the optimum care to meet its basic needs.
Consequently, these birds may spend their long lives being shuffled from owner to owner and languishing alone in unsuitably small cages for our convenience where they cannot even exercise. Increasing supplies of parrots serve to reduce their value in the eye of the consumer, forcing the breeders to sell more to make more profit. Hence they have become objects to buy, sell or discard. According to the RSPCA data from the financial year 2012-2013, the Wacol RSPCA centre received 706 companion birds which were either rescued or relinquished by owners. If homes are not found, these birds are destroyed.
Our appeal is that the Gympie Regional Council and the Queensland Government takes a stand against the increasing practice of bird breeders selling from markets and festivals in our region. Parrots are highly intelligent flight animals with complex needs. They do not deserve the privations of a life in captivity nor to be treated as trinkets for our amusement.
As a caring community, we, the undersigned, call on the Gympie Regional Council and the Queensland Government to ban the sale of parrots and all birds from local markets and festivals. The Australian Veterinary Association policy stance is that companion animals, which includes birds should not be sold at markets.
Parrots are highly intelligent and powerful flight animals with complex needs. Why breed such a bird when its life is to be one of a captive, to be treated as a trinket for our amusement. Breeding a bird to live in a cage is not loving it, it is controlling it and depriving it of its innate needs.
The selling of these birds in markets and festivals is irresponsible because the display of these caged birds acts as a novelty that encourages impulse buying and publicly endorses the idea that the practice of caging animals is an acceptable one.
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The Ban the sale of parrots from markets and festivals in Queensland petition to Cr Rae Gate; Cr Julie Walker; Gympie Mayor Cr Mick Curran; ALP A.Palaszczuk was written by birds for birds and is in the category Animal Welfare at GoPetition.