Download Psittacine hatching eggs - Final import risk analysis (May 2010)

The potential risks to New Zealand’s native parrot populations has for many years motivated MAF to adopt a very cautious approach regarding the importation of birds in general and psittacine birds in particular. For at least the past decade there has been no way to import these birds legally, either as live birds or as hatching eggs. This situation has been recognised as one that has encouraged smuggling of these valuable species.

Recognising that the biosecurity risks associated with eggs are considerably lower than with live birds, an import risk analysis on hatching eggs of passerine birds was completed in 2006 MAF. Building on the experience gained during that project, this risk analysis considers the biosecurity risks associated with the importation of hatching eggs of birds in the order Psittaciformes. In carrying out this analysis, it is assumed that allowing imports through a legal and therefore controlled process may provide a greater level of protection overall to New Zealand’s endangered species than by maintaining the current ban.

From a preliminary list of organisms considered to be potentially associated with psittacine birds, those that were considered to require further consideration were identified and subjected to individual risk assessments. As a result of the individual risk assessments, it was concluded that avian influenza, avian paramyxoviruses, reovirus, proventricular dilatation disease virus, Salmonella Gallinarum-Pullorum, Salmonella Typhimurium DT104, and Salmonella Enteritidis DT4 are risks associated with imported psittacines. Options for managing the risk posed by each of these are discussed.