Disease tale wrong: breeder

By KATHERINE HOBY

A Northland parrot breeder at the centre of a biosecurity raid on Wednesday says Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry assertions that five birds died of a form of herpes are untrue.

Trevor Voss' Northland farm was one of three properties MAF and police staff raided in a search for birds they say were illegally taken from quarantine in 1997.

Six parrots were seized at his farm.

MAF said five of the original parrot shipment of 129 died in quarantine in 1997 of Pacheco's disease. The importer obtained an injunction to stop the MAF-ordered destruction of the consignment but was eventually forced to destroy the birds.

Mr Voss told the Herald that although five birds died in quarantine, none of them had Pacheco's disease.

He said one was killed by another parrot, one died of head trauma after blood tests and three died of quarantine-related illnesses.

All the birds were tested by a MAF vet for diseases and some were found to have Pacheco's disease antibodies, although none were showing signs of having developed the disease.

Mr Voss said MAF would not allow the birds to be retested by an independent veterinarian.

MAF had insisted that all parrots were fitted with microchips, he said. He could not understand why the ministry had not thoroughly checked the chips of the birds destroyed.

MAF found microchips in birds seized from Mr Voss' property this week and is convinced they are the same ones smuggled out of quarantine in 1997. Mr Voss said he had re-used the chips.

"Basically, either they [MAF] were incompetent then, in that they didn't check the chips, or they're lying now."

He denied that any of the birds destined for destruction in 1997 had been substituted before the order was carried out.

"There was intensive security at the quarantine. It's so ridiculous it's not funny."

MAF enforcement manager Jockey Jensen said the five birds did have an infectious disease. "It was decided that it was Pacheco's and it was too much of a risk to allow them to remain."

Officials were investigating and would lay charges if liability were established.