Taipei, July 26 (CNA) The Council of Agriculture (COA) urged parrot breeders and keepers in Taiwan on Tuesday to follow a new bird certification policy of "one bird, one ring, one certificate," to curb bird smuggling.

The owners of about 1,700 parrots have so far obtained certification, which is provided by 34 registered stores in Taiwan, Lin Kuo-chang, chief of the Wildlife Conservation Section under the COA's Forestry Bureau, told CNA.

The registration and certification process was carried out under a trial system launched in southern Taiwan on April 1 by the bureau in collaboration with the Kaohsiung Ornamental Bird Association. The certification of parrots is not very widespread in Taiwan as the policy is still in the initial stages and it is not yet mandatory for parrot breeders and sellers to comply, according to Lin.

"We'd like more bird lovers to take the initiative to adopt this policy" as there are many benefits to it, Lin said.

For example, with the rings and certificates, disputes over whether captive and pet parrots are from a protected species can be easily settled, he said.

Only four of the 300 parrot species in the world are not protected internationally, but some protected species can be bred artificially and thus sold legally, he said, noting that parrot-breeding techniques in Taiwan are quite advanced. Certification therefore "serves as an additional guarantee" for both the authorities and the public, he said.

Registration and certification can also allow for "better and more effective control" in the event of an outbreak of bird flu or a parrot fever, he said. Furthermore, if a bird goes missing, such information can be used to help find it, he said.

Lin said certification is a must if Taiwan wants to breed and export birds to the European Union, where the regulations are tighter. It is estimated that Taiwan's parrot trade is worth about NT$7 billion (US$243.1 million) a year, with Japan and the United States being the main export markets.

One of the factors affecting wider certification of birds is the fact that only a few stores are registered to provide such certification, according to Kuo Feng-ming, director of a Taipei-based bird association.

Kuo said he hoped to see more businesses becoming registered so that they can provide bird certification.

"They may be worried about the cost, but with the success of the trials in Kaohsiung, it could become a lucrative business," Kuo said.

He urged bird businesses in Taipei to join a training course on the subject, scheduled to begin Aug. 9.