Penalties for Illegal Smuggling of Pet Birds
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Yee Chia Hsing’s inquiry regarding additional measures to prevent pet bird shops from sourcing birds from illegal smugglers and whether penalties for smuggling could include caning and vehicle confiscation. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong stated that NParks conducts border checks with various agencies and clarified that vehicles used for smuggling can already be seized. He explained that pet shops must maintain detailed records of bird sources for unannounced inspections, and those breaching licensing conditions face fines or license revocation. Current penalties under the Animals and Birds Act and the Endangered Species Act include significant fines and imprisonment, particularly for offences involving animal cruelty or protected species. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong concluded that NParks will continue reviewing these requirements and penalties to ensure they remain robust and effective.
Transcript
20 Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there can be additional measures to ensure that pet bird shops do not get their sources from illegal smugglers of pet birds; and (b) whether the penalties for illegal smugglers can be increased to include caning and confiscation of vehicles used.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Importers are required to have the necessary health certificates and import permits to bring birds into Singapore. NParks works closely with Singapore Customs, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, as well as local and international partners to carry out checks at Singapore's borders to combat bird smuggling.
Under the Animals and Birds Act (ABA), those found guilty of smuggling animals may be fined up to $10,000 and/or face imprisonment of up to one year. The penalties are higher for offences involving endangered species protected under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA). In addition, smugglers found guilty of animal cruelty may be fined up to $15,000 and/or face imprisonment of up to 18 months for a first offence, with higher penalties for those who do so in the course of carrying on an animal-related business. NParks can also seize the vehicle used for smuggling.
Pet shops are also required to maintain records of each bird that they have kept in their premises as part of NParks' pet shop licensing conditions. These records must include the source, import date, importer, date of reception, and date of sale of the bird. NParks conducts periodic unannounced checks at pet shops to ensure that the numbers and species of birds in the shops match import records.
Under the ABA, shops found in breach of NParks' licensing conditions may be fined up to $5,000, and their licences may be suspended or revoked. Higher penalties may be imposed for offences involving endangered species protected under the ESA.
NParks will continue to review these requirements and penalties to ensure that they remain robust and effective.