Understanding Singapore's dynamic parrot trade ecosystem

Anuj Jain,Tim Plowden,Jacob Phelps,Heather Lim,Ding Li Yong,Jessica Grace Lee,Scott Li Meng Aloysius

doi:10.1017/s0030605320001246

Anuj Jain, Tim Plowden + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605320001246

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Abstract

AbstractSingapore is prominent in the global trade of pet birds, primarily parrots. This includes its role as a key international transit hub, and also its growing domestic market, including for threatened species. There is a need to understand the trade beyond volumes and flows, including consumer knowledge, preferences and behaviours, and interactions with vendors, hobbyist groups and supporting industries. We used three methods to examine this: (1) a questionnaire with stakeholders (including parrot owners, hobbyist group members, breeders and supporting industry professionals), about the motivations for parrot ownership and interest in sustainable trade, (2) semi-structured interviews with key informants about trade dynamics, and (3) a review of online hobbyist groups. Based on our findings, we provide an initial mapping of the country's parrot trade ecosystem. Fifty-one per cent of respondents claimed to be a member of a parrot hobbyist group and 64% agreed their participation in such groups had encouraged them to purchase more parrots. The majority (71%) of parrot owners reported a preference for captive-bred rather than wild-caught parrots, and 72% were concerned about the illegal hunting of parrots for commercial trade. Most were willing to pay more (70%) and wait longer (73%) to procure a sustainably sourced parrot. Our approach presents the wildlife trade as a complex social phenomenon, with multiple physical and online channels, regulatory challenges, social networks, and evolving consumer preferences. We also document the pivotal role of hobbyist groups and their untapped potential to leverage these networks to improve sustainable trade.

Highlights

Parrots (Psittaciformes), including macaws, cockatoos, parakeets and lorikeets, are one of the most commonly traded groups in the global pet bird trade (Bush et al, )
The country has been recurrently implicated in the illegal wildlife trade (Nijman, ; Minin et al, ), including of threatened parrot species such as the yellowcrested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea and African grey parrot Psittacus erithacus (Shepherd et al, ; Poole & Shepherd, ; UNODC, ; Aloysius et al, ), despite the Singapore CITES Authority, part of the Singapore National Parks Board, having tightened enforcement of laws against the illegal wildlife trade since (Channel News Asia, ; Tan, )
The results from the questionnaire highlighted a range of individual motivations for and behaviours related to keeping parrots

Summary

Introduction

Parrots (Psittaciformes), including macaws, cockatoos, parakeets and lorikeets, are one of the most commonly traded groups in the global pet bird trade (Bush et al, ) Much of this trade is legal and based on captive-bred and/or legally harvested wild animals, a considerable part of the trade is illegal and unsustainable (Pires, ; Olah et al, ). Singapore is a global trade hub for birds originating from South-east Asia, Africa and Europe, for both domestic trade and commercial re-export to East Asia and the Middle East (TRAFFIC, ; UNODC, ; Aloysius et al, ). This includes a large component of legal trade. The country has been recurrently implicated in the illegal wildlife trade (Nijman, ; Minin et al, ), including of threatened parrot species such as the yellowcrested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea and African grey parrot Psittacus erithacus (Shepherd et al, ; Poole & Shepherd, ; UNODC, ; Aloysius et al, ), despite the Singapore CITES Authority, part of the Singapore National Parks Board, having tightened enforcement of laws against the illegal wildlife trade since (Channel News Asia, ; Tan, )

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