In the first of a series of recent articles about nonindigenous animal species in Japan, the Asahi Shimbun reported comments made at this year's annual meeting of the International Association of Falconry. The meeting, which took place earlier this month in Prague, saw the chairperson criticize the Japanese media for emphasizing the value of three Harris hawks that had been stolen from an Ibaraki pet shop in May 2004. By saying that the hawks were worth 5 million yen each, the chairperson implied, the media gave the impression that birds of prey were simply expensive objects.

Given the general image of falconry as being a sport of the rich and titled, the media's interest in the price was understandable. A more vital question is: What's a bird of prey that's indigenous to the Americas doing in an Ibaraki pet shop? The Species Conservation Act states that hunting birds which are native to Japan cannot be used "for hobby purposes," but there is no law that specifically forbids falconry using non-native species. As long as you don't violate international laws pertaining to endangered animals you can import birds of prey from anywhere.

Apparently, a lot of people have been taking advantage of this loophole. According to the Asahi series, 8,972 birds of prey were imported to Japan between 2002 and 2004. Environmental groups find this development alarming since it is believed that many of these birds are now in the wild and mating with indigenous birds. In June, a new law went into effect controlling the import of nonindigenous animal species, but birds of prey were not covered. Thus, Harris hawks, Russian eagles, and other hunting birds will join the likes of raccoons and civets as foreign invaders wreaking havoc on Japan's ecosystem.