The basic conflict regarding animal welfare with respect to the live bird trade
derives from the asymmetry of perspectives regarding the value of the animals.
Wholesale prices in importing countries indicate that Northerners place relatively
high value on birds in trade, as much as US$200 to US$1000 per bird for some
species, and therefore wonder at the waste implied by high trade-associated
mortalities. By contrast, the primary caretakers of the wild resource in developing
countries value the birds in accordance with the prices that they receive, US$2 to
US$10 per bird for the more valuable species, and therefore take the amount of
care that such a resource warrants. Of course, less than US$2 worth of care for a
resource worth hundreds of US dollars strikes Northerners as wasteful, and it is;
however, it would seem equally odd to a producer in the South to take care that
required hundreds of US dollars worth of medicines and equipment for a resource
that earns them US$2. It is this basic asymmetry in perspectives that makes for
profound disagreements on the issue of animal welfare. This is the fundamental
link between animal welfare and economics.