ACTP finally responds to parrot transfer controversy

Sisserou (l) and Jaco parrots

The Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots e.V. (ACTP) has finally responded to the controversy regarding the transfer of 12 parrots from Dominica to a facility in Germany.

The organization apologized on social media for taking so long to respond after the controversy erupted saying “we want to wait for all medical results.”

In a lengthy statement, the organization sought to justify the transfer of the birds from the Botanic Gardens in Roseau.

It said the primary objectives of the project are:
– Establishment of an ex-situ captive breeding population for the two endemic Amazon species of Dominica, the Imperial parrot (Amazona imperialis) and Red-necked parrot (A. arausiaca)
– Conduct a transparent census with collaboration of international organizations and sister islands to estimate the population size of both species, similar to the census conducted previously in St. Lucia under collaboration with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Saint Lucia Forestry Department
– Multi-stage training of Dominican Forestry staff members (veterinary training, three-month training of staff members to improve knowledge of husbandry guidelines in Dominica, provide funding for staff members to study conservation biology)
– Provide equipment, which will be relevant for further field work and research
– Immediate-term, financial support (now – 1 year) for crop depredation on agriculture and public awareness of local farmers to decrease the risk of possible conflicts between humans and the vulnerable parrot population
– Short-term restoration and modernization (now – 2 years) of the facility at the Dominica Botanic Gardens (Roseau) to establish a quarantine following international guidelines (with external electrical supply, room/aviaries with full isolation from healthy birds,
appropriate quarantine protocols)
– Conduct middle-term research (now – 4 years) among the ex-situ population to study the vocal repertoire, behavior and nutritional requirements of both species, with modern, non-invasive, scientifically peer-reviewed methods
– Long-term conservation project (> 5 years) with the proposal of a Wildlife and Education Conservation center to ensure protection to endemic wildlife

The full statement is below

Download (PDF, 805KB)

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20 Comments

  1. North Pole Dominican
    May 4, 2018

    This was how my parrot played with every one in the family, and those who brought it some seeds. or piece of sugar cane.

  2. John
    April 18, 2018

    These parrots have been raised on Dominica by Dominicans for hundreds of years, what makes them think that Dominicans need any “special” training to raise their own parrots. This seems like a fraud and excuse to kidnap the parrots for financial profit. An investigation needs to be conducted to see if any monies was paid. This species has survived on Dominica for hundreds of years without human intervention, why now the “emergency” removal, that is just an excuse.

  3. Shaka Zulu
    April 17, 2018

    All this should be done before the birds were shipped out. I think you guys took the Dominican public for fools and thought they would not care. As a result you were forced to come up with some reasoning. It is the constant belief by these industrial countries that island people are idiots. Well some are but there are those of us who know better. If ot was that significant you huys should have had all this before and then we would have opportunity to validate info. There was no need to rush birds out. First impression is lasting and have already lost my trust.

  4. One of a kind
    April 17, 2018

    Finally we can now put the parrot drama to rest

    • Toto
      April 18, 2018

      On the contrary, it is only just starting.and Skerrit has not uttered a word about this yet. Very suspicious brother, very suspicious.

  5. anonymous2
    April 17, 2018

    What they don’t say is “who” is paying for all of this. I doubt that the decision to remove the parrots was on a whim. The parrots need to come back now. It doesn’t say that the parrots are ever coming back.

  6. Toto
    April 17, 2018

    Nonsens that. Be honest, they just want to make big money out of our birds under the cover of a charity. These birds are worth big money and don’tell me govt.. gave them away for nothing. Somebody in authoriy or close to the Seat of power benefitted handsomely from this and that is my firm opinion.

  7. Rupert Sorhaindo
    April 17, 2018

    I would like to think that all of the individuals who posted critical comments on the parrot issue based on the subjective reports of persons who seem to have a personal interest in our rare birds, have taken the time to read the entire ACTP statement !
    What a revelation, that one of the vocal critics of the Government’s decision to have the parrots transferred to the ACTP facility in Germany holds one of our national birds as a pet in Florida!
    And to think that so many readers were so quick to bash Dr. Thomas and the government at large for “smuggling” and/or “selling” our national bird and violating all the relevant protocols in the process!

    • Shaka Zulu
      April 18, 2018

      I do not see what your point is. Forget about the one guy who had a pet. Are you telling the public that they should keep quiet when the national symbol was taken with no notification. Why did you not show concern? Your views above is typical of people who want keep people quiet. Its the ideology we all have sins and we should shut our mouths while others taking a whip on theirr backs. If the name above is who you truly are you would understand that tbe information provided by ACTP should be out before they took birds. The reason they took that long to respond was because they had nothing prepared and thought Dominica in crisis no one would notice. If the gentlemen illegally aquired the bird he too should have returned and gov should ensure it was not used for breeding. If there was silence we would never have gotten explanation fro. ACTP. The gov was wrong and Dr. Thomas was wrong. Enough of you BS.

    • Toto
      April 18, 2018

      Rupert we know you sold your soul a long time ago to Roosevelt Skerrit so we know we have to take your comments with some of the Baroness salt. What a shame for a teacher I used to respect so much.

    • Reupert, I do not care how you try to spin, polish whitewash, or defend it: I am telling you thievery is involved!

      No Dominican alive today will live to see the Parrots returned to Dominica.

      Rupert, with all your smart talk, explain why the birds are taken from Dominica and sent to Germany to be treated for any form of Bird disease?

      I have a medical background boy; and let me tell you after a patient is diagnosed by a medical doctor, if his/her diagnostics are correct, whatever medication the doctor proscribes, when taken by the patients; within a matter of hours the patient should experience some change. Some medication depending on how potent; will produce result fasted than a less potent!

      Nevertheless, if no result is seen in two days, or more; you know the medication is not working, so the doctor diagnostics might be wrong or the medication fail to work!

      So, this baloney about treating Parrot in Germany for months without result is a damn lie!

    • Not a laughing matter
      April 19, 2018

      Mr. Sorhaindo ! am deviating here but U should educate the population about your experience with the new cross over Joseph Issac. Weknow you were his mentor but he turn rouge on you . Let the people know just as you are informing us about the Parrot held in Fl. Is it a Sr. Counsel by chance?

  8. “The organization apologized on social media for taking so long to respond after the controversy erupted saying “we want to wait for all medical results.”

    You all would have been much better of if you remain mute, sometimes the more we talk is the more we dig a deeper ditch to into, or build a higher galls to hang our ourselves! Anybody who knows just a little bit veterinary medicine, or simply involved animal husbandry knows that in the quote above is total hogwash!

    The whole issue is a lie, why don’t you all simply come out and admit the Birds are stolen and sold in Germany. In the first place assuming the Parrots were sick, and there are no veterinary doctors in Dominica, there must be at least one in that region between Guyana in the South to Jamaica in the North to whom the birds could be sent to be treated!

    Bird flue is the most common diseases, which does not need to be for months!

    • I meant to say Bird flue is the most common diseases, which does not need to be treated for months!

      People have all kinds of sickness, except for disease which cannot be cured people do not remain in hospitals for weeks. If the disease cannot be cured they usually advise the patient and send them home; except perhaps in Dominica.

      I personally had heart surgery a little over a year ago, as a matter of fact twice! The first time they kept me over night for observation, and discharged me the day after operating in my heart for more than six hours! The second time they went in to look for blockage, the duration was less than two hours, after that they keep me in the intensive care unite for a few hours and then walked me out of there the same day!

      I am human, so if such human medical science has become simple routine, how come it takes so long to treat Parrots?

      That is nonsensical nonsense, all lies!

  9. skepticalone
    April 17, 2018

    It is not believed that putting 2 parrots in the same cage has a reality of a “breeding program”. They are very picky selective breeders and even with 20 birds you would be lucky to get a mating pair that resulted in eggs. So how do you think that taking 2 birds out of our already limited selection of breeding age birds will result in the continuation of the species.
    The reason your response took so long is that the polticitians and ACTP had to put their heads together to justify this after the fact. You can smell politics all over this report.

  10. Chess game
    April 17, 2018

    Well no doubt, but the skepticism came because it was done under the cloak of darkness and without following the established proper intl protocols. We’d have appreciated on the local level some info on our National bird transfer at least in the media. But nothing.

    • ??
      April 17, 2018

      There was no skepticism to begin with. This is just another one of the many propaganda stories that we will be seeing as we get closer to the next general election. Classic MO of SCL and the embattled UWP. More to come based on the two last elections. It’s a shame that the UWP hasn’t learned from their mistakes.

      • Chess game
        April 18, 2018

        And I don’t care much for the UWP neither, except for just being an opposition, sort of watchdog. 8)

      • Not a laughing matter
        April 19, 2018

        who’s gonna take the bulls by their horns? We have to organize and take back DA these guys under the cloak of DLP have destroyed what the UWP *DFP did not. These guys making Isis look like angels
        They guys must be rounded up and flogged for months in public b4 we hang them.

  11. Weekenz
    April 17, 2018

    so who gave Dr Reillo the sisserou? I hope our UWP fans are outraged that he has one for years? This is all political that’s why nothing will come off it. Next!!

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