Exotic birds imported in violation of quarantine regulations

By Ifham Nizam

Some 330 foreign birds have been illegally imported from Suriname in a private plane via Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA).

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Senior Advisor Hemantha Withanage and CEJ Executive Director Dilena Pathragoda have questioned the Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation and Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation on the illegal importation of exotic birds and violations of fauna and flora protection ordinance.

Senior Attorney-at-Law Dr. Ravindranath Dabare said that the person responsible for this import did not have the necessary licence, and despite the licence and other procedures like standard quarantining, the birds had been delivered to the person concerned.

He said the CEJ had found that a shipment of those birds were prevented from being released due to a lack of documents and permits on a previous occasion.

Importing exotic birds without proper permits is a violation of Section 37 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

It is crucial to underline that neither Sri Lanka Customs nor the Wildlife Conservation Department has the authority to recommend re-licensing for illegally imported birds, and maintaining possession of these birds by the alleged perpetrator is legally flawed.