Help the OC help ornithologists with MBTA permits: fill out our survey

[Laura Bies]

Many in the broader ornithological community rely on the issuance of import/export permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do their work. It has come to our attention that the USFWS formalized their Migratory Bird Import/Export Standard Procedures in 2019, and that more consistency among regions may be implemented with respect to these procedures.  According to these standards, each shipment would be required to be specified on the face of the permit (including date range, shipment origin/destination, species, type of specimen, and quantity) to be MBTA compliant. Thus, blanket permits for migratory bird import/export may no longer be issued. We are concerned this will cause undue burden for researchers and museums who import/export migratory birds for scientific purposes. In preparation for addressing this issue with USFWS, we are gathering information about MBTA permits from current or recent permit holders. 

Please complete this short survey no later than 2 July 2021 if you have a current MBTA permit, or have had one within the past five years. Thanks!