29 August, 2019

Residents who are
currently keeping Cayman parrots as pets will be given six months,
from 1 September 2019 to 29 February 2020, to register those birds
with the Department of Environment (DoE).

After February 2020, any
unregistered Cayman parrots that are still being kept as pets may be
seized by DoE conservation officers, and the bird’s owners can be
fined for possessing or keeping them illegally.  

“We’re trying to
correct a problem with illegal parrot ownership that has been allowed
to persist for going on 20 years,” said DoE Terrestrial Resources
Unit manager Fred Burton. “These Cayman parrots are a protected
species under the National Conservation Law, as they were under the
Animals Law, and really shouldn’t be kept as house pets. However,
we know hundreds of people do keep them and, if they are being
responsible, we want to give them a chance to continue to keep their
birds.”

During the parrot amnesty
period, residents may contact the DoE at 949-8469 or via email at
DoE@gov.ky and a DoE team will attend
their location to register the parrot. The registration process
involves assigning each pet parrot an identification number imprinted
on a small band around the parrot’s leg and implanting an
identification chip, called a PIT tag, similar to the ID tags used to
register other pets such as dogs and cats. DoE officers will provide
a health check, as well as advice during the visit on how best to
care for Cayman parrots. This service is free of charge.

Officially registered
Cayman parrots may still be kept as pets. However, after February
2020, no more parrots will be registered and anyone keeping an
unregistered parrot will be doing so illegally.

The
amnesty process is one that has been implemented by several Caribbean
islands and is necessary to reduce or eliminate the illegal trade and
poaching of wild Cayman parrots, which puts the wild parrot
population at greater risk each year.

“When the restrictions
on keeping these birds are enforced, it will hopefully reduce or stop
the poaching of wild Cayman parrots,” DoE Research Officer Jane
Haakonsson said. “The local parrot population on both Grand Cayman
and Cayman Brac remains critically low in the wake of Hurricanes Ivan
in 2004 and Paloma in 2008. The parrots’ ability to recover from
those storms and human induced threats is also compromised through
ongoing habitat loss.”  

“The Cayman parrot is
our national bird and an important part of our natural history. We
must continue to take steps to ensure the protection of our parrots,
so that they can flourish in our islands now, and into the future,”
said Minister of Environment, the Hon. Dwayne Seymour. “I urge
everyone who owns a Cayman parrot to contact DoE during the amnesty
period in order to register their pet parrot.”

For more information
regarding the parrot amnesty, please check the DoE website at
www.doe.ky or contact DoE Public
Education and Outreach Officer Brent Fuller via phone at
244-5984/922-5514 or via email at brent.fuller@gov.ky.

Photo 1 – These two baby parrots were
rescued earlier this year by DoE conservation officers. Credit: DoE

Photo2 – A pair of adult Grand Cayman Parrots. Credit: Cayman Turtle Centre

See also link on the DoE website: http://doe.ky/terrestrial/protect-our-parrots/