The Associated Birdkeepers of Australia Inc. (ABA Inc.) was established in 1982 to counter the perceived threats to aviculture from various government departments, specifically the Vertebrate Pest Act. The ABA Inc. mounted a vigorous campaign to limit the damage to aviculturists' in NSW and were successful in having birds specifically EXCLUDED. This remains the situation to this day.
On behalf of the members of the ABA Inc and as Patron of the Far North Queensland Birdbreeders Club, the secretary Barbara Devnie will be attending the Northern Avian Conference to be held in Charters Towers.
This is an annual event staged at different venues each long weekend in June.
The Cowra Poultry Club will be holding their Annual Show to be held In Cowra on the 22nd June. As Patron of the Club the Secretary, has been invited to attend.
Barbara Devnie
If you keep, trade or breed exotic (non-native) birds in Australia there are some important things you need to know.
The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts regulates international trade in exotic birds in order to:
Along with food and petrol, birdseed prices are going to rise and stay high and volatile. This time it's not drought driving increases but government policy. You might have heard about the food vs fuel debate. Europe and the US have put policies in place to mandate biofuel made from grain. Biofuels like ethanol are competing with food and feed grain for land-use and this is driving grain prices up. The Iemma government in NSW now wants to mandate E10, that is, enforce a 10 % ethanol blend in unleaded petrol.
My workload appears to be increasing, its that time of year to re enter renewals and issue Insurance Certificates, not that I mind, it shows that the work done throughout the year is proving to pay dividends.
This "Communicator:" should provide interesting reading, the envelope contains more reading plus instructions needing pen to paper. The draft of our Voluntary Guidelines, please help with any changes etc. We will be putting this before the members for adoption at this years AGM.
This document outlines the proposed Guidelines for the conduct of bird sales. This is a Draft only. Submission can be made in writing (see our email / Comments area for contact details).
The final decision will be put before this year's AGM.
Click on the attachment link below to download the draft document.
WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Dogs can catch influenza directly from birds, Korean researchers said on Wednesday, saying their finding shows pets could play a role in future pandemics.
Several pet dogs became ill and died from what turned out to be purely avian strains of seasonal flu virus, the researchers reported in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
First human-to-human transmission
Source: The Sangai Express / (Agencies)
London, April 05: A report by BBC News has confirmed the first case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu in Pakistan.
Customs has arrested and charged a Melbourne man with trying to smuggle four valuable live snakes into Australia.
A 32-year-old Ferntree Gully man will face Melbourne Magistrates Court today charged with four counts of importing a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) specimen under Section 303CD of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
A 46-year-old Dutch national, who was arrested and charged by Customs when he attempted to smuggle exotic birds' eggs into Australia, was today ordered to be deported after serving time in jail since his arrest last year.