Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org


t the present time we are very concerned about legislation relating to Animal Activity Licensing as there is a real fear that the introduction of this legislation may have a detrimental affect on hobbyist bird keeping in England and Wales. Government departments have long been working to a) rationalise the multiple licensing requirements for pet shops, animal breeders and exhibitors, boarding establishments and stables, etc, and b) to control the serious problem of puppy farming. Whilst both these objectives are laudable, hobbyist keepers of fish, reptiles, small mammals, and birds, appear to have been drawn into the net. It seems that in the drawing up of this legislation, Defra consulted with just one single representative of ‘the pet trade’, which clearly gives an unbalanced view. Since this legislation is an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, it does not have to come before Parliament, and will become law on October 5th 2018. However, work continues on the guidance notes to the Act, which is advisory documentation to Local Authorities responsible for implementing the Act, inspecting premises, and issuing necessary licences. It is the wording of this guidance that has prompted the


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INTRODUCT A


| les.rance@


following statement from SUN, regarding potential problems: “… the criteria being proposed are vague and contradictory, so much so that each local authority and its inspectors will have to interpret rather than be guided clearly. This is plainly open to subjectivity and ideological interference.” Furthermore, licensing will be required for all commercial businesses involving animals. For the purposes of this guidance, a ‘commercial operator’ is defined as one who –”makes any sale by, or otherwise carries on, the activity with a view to making a profit, or earns any commission or fee from the activity.” This clearly could include many breeders of parrots and parakeets. Listed as definitely included for licensing would be ‘any registered business, importer, or premises open to the public where animals are available to purchase.’ ‘Making a profit’ could include high volumes of animals sold or advertised, or high value individuals sold or advertised. ‘Out of scope’ would include irregular or infrequent transactions, or selling of surplus stock without making a profit. This obviously applies to most of our members, however, it has to be proved with the back-up of written evidence such as receipts, food bills etc., and again there


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