Australia set to lift parrot import ban; experts warn of disease risk to native
Lifting Australia's parrot import ban risks exposing gang-gang cockatoos to bird flu and novel diseases.
In 1995, Australia banned imports of live parrots to prevent avian diseases. After decades of pressure from zoos and pet owners, the ban is likely to be lifted.
The concern: gang-gang cockatoos, native to the ACT and Canberra's unofficial symbol, are already vulnerable. Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 wiped out much of their population; only around 25,000 are thought to remain.
The Invasive Species Council warns that imported birds could carry H5 bird flu, psittacine beak and feather disease, and other pathogens unknown today. The last time parrots were imported, two novel diseases entered Australia despite quarantine measures, one now called a major threat to endangered parrots.
- Around 25,000
- Gang-gang cockatoos remaining
- 1995
- Ban established
- 2019-20
- Black Summer bushfire period
- Claire Bookless
- Invasive Species Council analyst
Why it mattersOnce a wildlife disease takes hold, you cannot remove it. Opening a new pathway for disease risks species that are fighting to survive.
AustraliaGang-gang cockatoos face habitat loss, bushfires, and existing disease threats. Lifting the ban could expose the species to preventable new pathogens and damage Australia's biosecurity.
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