133 SMUGGLED RARE BIRDS KILLED BY DISEASE PREVENTION OFFICIALS|報廢汽車夾藏133隻保育鳥 疑自中走私

While avian flu is still raging in Taiwan, there are reports of smuggling birds in from China, where the disease is rife. On Mar. 25, inspections of scrap cars imported through Kinmen revealed a car stuffed with 133 red-billed leiothrix or Peking Nightingales which are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the Red List as a threatened species. These were being smuggled for sale in Taiwan. Staff from disease control killed all of them. They will trace the destination for the birds and prosecute the case. Coast guard staff wearing masks removed cages of live birds from scrap cars. These came by container from Kinmen and were discovered during a goods check by the coast guard. They heard the sound of birds which were smuggled from Kinmen. ==ns== Tracking the wiring and the GPS, these are from China. Of course no-one will admit anything, but they are from China. Avian flu is rife in China and in case the birds were entering from China without quarantine disease control staff immediately killed all the birds with carbon monoxide. They then opened the cages and counted 133 red-billed leiothrix, listed internationally as a threatened species. ==HSU FENG SHENG Dep. Chief, 5th coastguard team== National Pingtung University of Science and Technology animal conservation unit identified these as internationally-listed as a threatened species, red-billed leiothrix from China. This type of bird is also known as the Peking Nightingale for its lovely voice and is kept as a cage bird. In China they sell for RMB400-600 or NT$1,700 to NT$2,600. In Taiwan they sell for about NT$3,000 after being smuggled. The ship's captain said he knew nothing about the birds. The owner of the scrap metal cars has been notified for questioning and the case will be prosecuted under the animal protection laws. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 國內「禽流感」疫情，還沒有完全控制，卻傳出有人，從疫情嚴重的中國大陸，走私禽鳥。高雄的岸巡人員，在昨天檢查，從金門運來的報廢汽車時，發現其中一輛車，竟然夾藏，133隻、二級保育的「紅嘴相思鳥」，疑似要走私來台販賣。防疫人員，將禽鳥全部撲殺，將依動保法，追查貨主到案。 岸巡人員全都戴口罩、拉起封鎖線，其中兩人更穿上防護衣，小心翼翼從汽車裡搬出籠子，現場是從金門海運過來的報廢汽車，岸巡做貨物檢查時，發現銀色這輛傳出鳥叫聲，懷疑透過金門小三通走私。 ==ns== 追蹤 佈線就是看GPS 揣測是從大陸 反正大家都不會承認 反正大家不承認就是導向大陸 中國大陸禽流感疫情嚴重，萬一鳥類真的從大陸未經檢疫來台，可能造成傳染，現場防疫人員只好先用二氧化碳，全部撲殺，最後才撬開籠子清點，133隻，全是大陸品種，紅嘴相思鳥。 ==海巡第五岸巡總隊副總隊長 許鳳生== 經過屏東科技大學 野生動物保育服務中心鑑定 牠是二級保育類的大陸種 紅嘴相思鳥 岸巡調查，紅嘴相思鳥叫聲清脆，常被抓來當觀賞鳥，在大陸每隻可賣400元至600元人民幣，走私來台售價更可達3千元。經初步詢問，船長表示不知情，岸巡已經通知申請該批報廢車輛的業者到案說明，將依違反動保法偵辦。 記者 王介村 許政俊 高雄報導