BirdsCaribbean, an international network of members and partners committed to conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats in the Caribbean, is supporting what the organization says are Dominica’s plans to launch new efforts to protect the Sisserou and Jaco parrots. Both species are rare and live nowhere else in the world.
According to a release from the organization, a recent letter from the Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernization and Kalinago Upliftment reaffirms Government’s pledge to help these birds locally, with the help of long-term international and local partners. This includes the return of parrots secretly taken to Germany in March 2018. Other measures include parrot surveys, further repair of the Parrot Centre and renovation of the parrot display aviaries in the Botanic Gardens.
“On March 18th, 2018, a few months after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) took rare parrots from Dominica,” the release states in reference to the March 2018 incident which caused a firestorm of controversy in Dominica. “This included two Sisserou (Imperial Parrots, Amazona imperialis) and ten Jaco (Red-necked Parrots, Amazona arausiaca), all hatched in the wild. Claiming this was an “emergency measure,” ACTP took the parrots to a private facility in Germany.”
The release adds that all the parrots had survived Maria and had been rehabilitated.
Citing reports at the time that the export was not approved by Dominica’s management or scientific authorities for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and that Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division was not consulted or warned, BirdsCaribbean says it expressed its deep concern and was among thirteen groups that wrote a letter to the United Nations.
“On May 1, 2018, over forty well-known scientists from around the world wrote to Dominican and German authorities. They urged the return of the birds and an investigation into ACTP,” BirdsCaribbean goes on to state in its release. “ACTP was the subject of two reports in the Australian Guardian later that year. They were also featured in an article in Audubon Magazine’s Summer 2020 issue, among others. These revealed that the group also had removed hundreds of rare parrots from Australia and Brazil, and rare parrots from St. Lucia and St. Vincent. The articles also revealed that ACTP’s director was convicted of several crimes and has no scientific credentials.”
BirdsCaribbean says it supports its partners, who work hard to protect rare species such as the iconic Sisserou in their home country and the group still urges the return of Dominica’s parrots to the Parrot Conservation and Research Centre in Roseau. It also endorses plans to renovate the Parrot Centre.
“Links with local nature groups and local skill building will provide for a hopeful future for these birds. BirdsCaribbean supports the government’s Wildlife Conservation Partnership plan. These forward steps are a welcome ray of light in these hard times,” the group asserts.
The full letter from the minister responsible for the environment, Cozier Frederick to Dr. Paul Reilo of The Institute of the Environment in Florida, USA.
Bondieu protect me. I am caught in the midst of wxisting geopolitics between European America. Both interests want me. Both them want to be the agency to go to for any information about Dominica’s parrots. Both of them keep.making promises on my behalf. Some more substantial that the other. But it is promises nevertheless. Genuine local interests for my survival no longer exist. What we have is every isy looking to see where and with which agency they can personally benefit (overseas trips, gifts for themselves and girlfriend, money designated for parrot work ending up in personal bank accounts, post retirement jobs etc). Everybody looking for themselves.
Where are the post Maria field reports, assessments of the status of these precious birds? Are they readily available locally? Or held in foreign “libraries’?. Over the years, how many birds were housed at the facility in the gardens? Where are the records. How many were eaten up.by feral animals? Where are the records? Blame…
That is pressure indeed. Birds Caribbean could not even wait for government to make the statement, they have gone ah as and published a letter to put pressure on government to do just as they say. T
According to the letter they have stringent conditions for their future association with Dominica. In other words are they challengeng government’s policy? Since when an airplane external NGO can dictate to a sovereign government what it ought to do with the people’s patrimony?
I wonder if the Minister’s decision is a decision of the Cabinet of Dominica. How much consultation was there between the main actor in the transfer of the birds to Europe?
By the way. What is the fate of that lone Sisserou that was born here and subsequently taken to the US for veterinary attention? It is still very sick? Is it still a “Special Needs Birds”? When will it ever get back to Dominica? What benefit is it to those who presently have it for “safekeeping”?. It is interesting that it was not…
Dominica ‘s government is corrupt to its core and so is the convicted criminal Martin Guth of the ACTP. The parrots has no saviour at this point, because the people in charge who were to protect Dominica and her people have betrayed us all by prostituting our most valuable assets.The truth is they sold the parrots . The thieves they are will never tell the people the truth. That is how callous hearted them criminals are.Parrots are not coming back.
our birds have probably laid eggs. these eggs have probably hatched and produced off spring. please bring back all of our full grown and baby parrots please. what gets to me the most is the part where it’s stated that they were “secretly taken to Germany in March 2018”. Bring our birds back thank you
This issue needs to be taken up with the United Nations and the EU. The people of Dominica need to start protest action, petition and suit at the UN and demand the return of the parrots and Dominican courts should prosecute the people who illegally sold the parrots. Why was this allowed to happen, the Sisserou parrot is the Dominican symbol and is even on the national flag. The people of Dominica should be mad as hell about this and rightfully so. Come on Dominican attorneys do something you should be mad too.
The UN & EU are too busy building the Europeans New World Order, which is currently working as planned. Among other things, do you know(or realize) they have our governments boasting that they are successfully vaccinated a majority of our young ‘Girls’ for HPV? Code word for infertility as they get older. It’s a test run, who is keeping tabs to check 10 years from today if they are able to have kids to replenish in the big picture, in their quest for Africa’s and your LAND.
Even the National Birds don’t escape this regime’s dark, secretive, corrupt practices. The birds should be returned forthwith. If they have given birth to any offspring while in activity, they too must be brought to Dominica.
Imagine this! Even innocent creatures get entangled in Skerrit’s avarice and unethical, dark projects.
I love our parrots please bring them back it’s our gold
These parots are more important than alot of evil people in Dominica please bring them back to their home land,
They can start by bringing back the ones that were kidnapped from the Botanical Gardens and taken to Europe after hurricane Maria, there needs to be an explanation as to why they were kidnapped. The parrots belong on Dominica their true home they are probably home sick. Who authorize their kidnapping?
The parrots have been kidnapped from their homeland and must be brought home without delay!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/11/legitimate-zoo-obscure-german-group-endangered-parrots-actp/
Check that article even the German government aware of them
“The German federal conservation agency is aware of private social media messages that show Australian birds apparently imported by ACTP have been offered for sale for hundreds of thousands of dollars”
“The release adds that all the parrots had survived Maria and had been rehabilitated.”
If this refers to the parrots that were sent to overseas, the BirdsCaribbean Press Release appears to contradict the Minister’s letter dated 30th June 2020. which states that repatriation of the birds is on a list of priorities.
If the birds have been rehabilitated one can only assume that it was done after the date of the letter and hence they came back in as secretly as they went out.
Are the parrots still native?
When will the secrecy surrounding our parrots end?
Were they sold? Who did it? Under whose authority?
Everything done in darkness must be brought to light.
Time Will Tell!
This is fake new! You say these birds do not live anywhere else. I challenge you to ask Skerrit whose government sold Sisserou and Jack parrots to Germany. So they must be living somewhere in Germany unless you are telling us that they all have died since!
Do not waist you time and resources on Dominica, these people have no pride in country anymore! They display a false sense of patriotism tied in to their politics while their Government bleeds the country by stealing its little resources and enriching themselves and their Labour Political Party at the expense of the State, Dominica! As long as these Labourites receive their share of the loot and theft from Dominica, they do not care one patat (potato) about Dominica, parrots, architectural buildings, its national heritage and the preservation or conservation of Dominica natural and national heritage! Voleur, soutiwez = theives and hypocrites and that’s Dominica today! The country is rotten and corrupt from head to toe!
That too is part of Skerrit legacy. Somebody got paid for taking these birds to Germany don’t tell me it’s not true. So shameful every time they hand out Sisserou award I still get upset by that bunch of hypocrites destroying our nature and talking about resilience.
And the ones that were exported a few years ago? What is the story on those? They not coming back? Are they even still alive? What is being done with them? Will we no longer be the only country with the Sisserou?
SO WHERE ARE THE PARROTS THEY SENT AWAY??????
The 12 parrots (2 Sisserou and 10 Jaco) are at ACTP’s facility in Germany. More info available here (and links therein): bit.ly/DominicaParrots
sold to the highest bidder and being breed to sell more to export to rich people all over the world!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/11/legitimate-zoo-obscure-german-group-endangered-parrots-actp