more legislation that will undoubtedly affect our community...

[smitty]

Do you think it was a need for legislation due to the lack of care people show when releasing these things back into the wild. Similar to what happened with the snakehead.

 

[dundadundun]

Do you think it was a need for legislation due to the lack of care people show when releasing these things back into the wild. Similar to what happened with the snakehead.

whether that's true or not bares no significance in the everglades at least. escapees during major hurricanes would suffice for the same results eventually, regardless.

 

[SubRosa]

Do you think it was a need for legislation due to the lack of care people show when releasing these things back into the wild. Similar to what happened with the snakehead.

The Snakehead situation is another perfect example. The main species of concern, Channa argus the Northern Snakehead, has never been in the pet trade to my knowledge. The introduction was traced back to the live food fish trade. Most members of the genus Channa are not cold hardy, and pose no more threat to most ecosystems than an Oscar. Yet through a coordinated campaign of misinformation they have succeeded in demonizing the whole genus to the point where most aquarists agree with the senseless ban. Here we go again!

 

[petluvr]

whether that's true or not bares no significance in the everglades at least. escapees during major hurricanes would suffice for the same results eventually, regardless.

Doesn't this statement do more to support the ban than to deny it?

 

[Khemul]

Do you think it was a need for legislation due to the lack of care people show when releasing these things back into the wild. Similar to what happened with the snakehead.

Heres the thing with pets and invasives, it isn't pet owners typically. They are usually responsible for those single cases that are often heard about. The leap in logic is that those single cases are linked to the bigger populations with usually isn't true.

More often the invasives get linked to two things; 1) Careless importers/farmers, 2) Careless stores. The second tends to be the most common link for escaped reptiles.

Keep in mind that for a population to become established a bunch of animals must be released in the same area at roughly the same time. This usually doesn't happen with careless pet owners.



Still means that it should up to Florida to ban the trade of the animals, not the federal government. Unfortunately I think Bill Nelson is taking the "it's too late for Florida so lets take it to the federal level!" approach, which in a sense is true. There is very little point in banning animals in Florida since the invasives are already out and established. Definitely no point in ruining it for everyone else at this point.

 

[dundadundun]

Doesn't this statement do more to support the ban than to deny it?

no... if you read it in context, it doesn't. the US covers a vast area of varying environments. florida is unique and personally, i think your right to own non-indigenous tropical exotic animals and plants shouldn't be much of a loss compared to your right to retire in a tropical paradise peninsula and/or one of the islands. their problem is a state problem. the northern snakehead on the other hand may be a country wide pandemic eventually. that one also was ignored and was fitting of federal involvement. the problem here is the kicking of bushes and attempt to cover tracks in lieu of looking forward to the next issue and how to prevent it before it's too late.

 

[SubRosa]

no... if you read it in context, it doesn't. the US covers a vast area of varying environments. florida is unique and personally, i think your right to own non-indigenous tropical exotic animals and plants shouldn't be much of a loss compared to your right to retire in a tropical paradise peninsula and/or one of the islands. their problem is a state problem. the northern snakehead on the other hand may be a country wide pandemic eventually. that one also was ignored and was fitting of federal involvement. the problem here is the kicking of bushes and attempt to cover tracks in lieu of looking forward to the next issue and how to prevent it before it's too late.

Remember that the Largemouth Bass is acountrywide pandemic!

 

[dundadundun]

Remember that the Largemouth Bass is acountrywide pandemic!

but they're not scary looking, so you think i could stock my lake with them?

 

[user_name]

At this point any ban is no more than a feel good measure. Those particular genies are out of the bottle and getiing them back in is a practical impossibility, unless mother nature gives a helping hand. But of course that would mean catastrophe from an agricultural standpoint so I wouldn't wish too hard for it. Our situation on this is pretty grim as outlined by Martin Niemoeller:

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

This describes the average American to a "T". Most people don't want reptiles as pets and it takes little encouragement to make them think that nobody should have them. If the concept of "While I do not agree with what you do, I will defend your right to do it" is not reincorporated into the American pysche then it's just a matter of time until they come for the last of us.

I agree 100%. I'm not sure the average american would understand the effects of legislation like this, to them it's "just a snake". Plus, out of the few people who own or interact with these snakes, only half are probobly educated about or have even heard of this. Anyways, I agree with the points already given about how the federal ban is excessive, and that it should go to the states to decide.

 

[SubRosa]

but they're not scary looking, so you think i could stock my lake with them?

I believe the Commonwealth might even do it for free! No seriously I think they will.