ALERT: Alabama
Deadline to comment: July 6, 2020
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has proposed a regulation to ban many species of reptiles and amphibians (and other animals). The regulation states it will be illegal to “possess, sell, offer for sale, import, bring, release, or cause to be brought or imported into the State…” any of the listed species.
The State currently bans several fish and mammal species under the ACDNR Administrative Code, Chapter 220-2, Game and Fish Division. This proposal amends the current regulation and adds the species below to the ban list:
1. All species listed as injurious under the Lacey Act (current and future). This includes:
– Reticulated pythons;
– Burmese and Indian pythons;
– Green and yellow anacondas;
– Northern and Southern African Rock pythons;
– 201 species of salamanders;
– All other Lacey Act injurious species. Complete list at www.fws.gov/injuriouswildli…/pdf_files/Current_Listed_IW.pdf.
2. All nonindigenous venomous reptiles;
3. All tegus.
Get full details, sample messaging, contacts, and more at www.usark.org/alert-alabama-2020
Facebook post link: www.facebook.com/…/photos/a.398227663592526/2982428018505798
Protect The Harvest Article
Protect The Harvest (PTH) recently posted an article mentioning USARK and thanking us for our alert regarding an extreme measure hidden inside the 1,815-page HEROES Act. PTH is an animal welfare group created to defend and preserve American freedoms and to support farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and animal owners. We greatly appreciate PTH’s effort to spread awareness of the radical animal rights agenda and their support of USARK. Thank you for your work and for being an ally, PTH!
Read the article titled “Animal Laws and Restrictions Hidden in New COVID Stimulus Plan” at:
Website link: www.protecttheharvest.com/…/animal-laws-and-restrictions-h…/
Facebook link: www.facebook.com/…/photos/a.179760862130894/2943915742382045
If you missed it, this the alert that PTH cites: www.usark.org/2020-disease-prevention-act/
CITES Survey
USARK was contacted regarding the linked survey. We are in no manner affiliated with this survey but we did check with domestic and international parties on its validity and we are comfortable sharing this with our members. Here are the details from the source:
Dissertation Research: Legal Acquisition Findings
My name is Jessica Grey, studying at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (University of Kent) for my MSc in Conservation and International Wildlife Trade.
For my Master’s dissertation, I am conducting research into CITES Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF) in order to gain an understanding of how legal acquisition of a CITES-listed species can be proven. I would also like to discover how trading community members think legal acquisition can be proven, prior to the issuance of a CITES permit for trade by the CITES Management Authority.
All the responses will be anonymised if required in the submitted thesis and any subsequent publications. No personal information will be published and no responses will be connected with the respondent. In addition, all questions have the option to select “prefer not to say or leave blank. If at any point you wish to leave the survey you are free to do so.
It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete this questionnaire. The deadline for the completion of the questionnaire is 8th July 2020.
Please note, that this is an independent research project, but the information collected may be shared with other entities, including the CITES Secretariat.
Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me on japg2@kent.ac.uk or my supervisor Dr David Roberts (d.l.roberts@kent.ac.uk)
Link to questionnaire: www.surveygizmo.eu/…/90240…/Trade-Survey-Reptiles-Amphibians
It’s finally here!
We have a new website and it is finally live! Thank you greatly to all of those who stuck with us while we worked to bring you a better resource for keeping updated on the important issues affecting herpetoculture. We cannot properly express how important it is for herpetoculturists to follow our coverage of matters impacting our community. Current events often shape the legislative and regulatory efforts that will affect us. If we stop fighting, that is when it all ends. Please know that we are working every hour to protect the freedoms of the responsible herpetocultural community and keep our members informed.
USARK is not possible without the generosity of our members and supporters. Thank you to everyone who makes USARK possible. Without your support, herpetoculture would not be able to provide its many benefits to people and animals across the U.S. From a pet corn snake, gecko, or tree frog leading to a career as a conservation biologist or veterinarian, to a student who sees a tortoise at a school program and becomes a zookeeper, to a family business living a modern American dream through herpetoculture. From medical breakthroughs made possible through our husbandry expertise, to the community coming together to help some of our own when hit with troubling times. We must continue to stand strong and educate lawmakers about what we do and why we do it.
Please visit our new website at www.USARK.org, sign up for the email newsletter, and consider joining or donating. USARK is the only voice dedicated to advocating for the interests of herpetoculturists at all levels of government across our nation. We are fighting for you!
We hope everyone is safe and well. Protect the health of yourself and others as we navigate through these difficult times.
ALERT: Wildlife-Borne Disease Prevention Act (Federal)
UPDATE (with original alert below): The HEROES Act squeaked thought the House with a vote of 208 – 199. While it is expected that the Act will not be supported by the Senate, we all must be aware of what is happening in the current political climate.
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Buried on pages 1,628-1,635 of the latest 1,815-page House democratic draft of a COVID-19 relief bill known as the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) is the text of the Wildlife-Borne Disease Prevention Act (the Act). In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and utilizing this crisis as a springboard, the Act has surfaced as activists try to conflate the issue of legal and legitimate trade with substandard wet markets and other unregulated potential vectors for zoonotic disease transmission.
Most troubling of all, the Act contains language that would reverse the USARK federal lawsuit victory by reinstating the ban on interstate transportation of species listed as injurious under the Lacey Act. In that landmark decision, four federal judges agreed that USARK was correct and that the Lacey Act did not ban interstate transportation of injurious species based on the original language of the Lacey Act and the intent of Congress. As a result of this fight for our members and the herpetocultural community, this meant animals domestically bred under human care could be moved and sold across state lines (within the continental United States). For herpetoculturists’ concerns, this included a few species of constrictors snakes and a long list of salamanders. However, that ruling was made on the current Lacey Act language.
Unfortunately, the proposed law now included in the COVID relief bill would overturn that decision. Specifically, the Act would add this language to the Lacey Act (Title 18 Section 42): “or any interstate transport between States within the continental United States.”
Not only will it ban interstate transportation, but it will expand what is considered an injurious species. In addition to the above amendment, it alters the definition of an injurious species: “to be injurious to or to transmit a pathogen that can cause disease in humans…”
The Act has some other consequences:
1. Creates a new route to petition for listing injurious species (with 90 days for the government to respond);
2. Requires a list of species “that could pose a biohazard risk to human health” be compiled by the government and determine if those species may be injurious. The list is to be finalized within one year after passage of the Act;
3. Creates a new electronic permitting system;
4. Creates new monitoring, research, management, and database frameworks (Wildlife Disease Surveillance through the United States Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center).
While we do not believe that the HEROES Act as passed by the House will be supported by the Senate, we do have reasonable concerns that the language on the wildlife trade will find its way into a subsequent bill that could pass the Congress.
For this reason, we are alerting our membership and other animal interests to this threat while working to prevent the inclusion of the Act into a Senate bill. We are engaged, as always, and will keep the community apprised. If action is needed from membership, we will issue an alert and steps to take.
We hope everyone is safe and healthy during this time. Be responsible! Protect your health and the health of others. Always represent herpetoculture in a professional manner.
Read this online at www.usark.org/2020-disease-prevention-act.
You can find the full HEROES Act at this link. See page 1,628 for the Wildlife-Borne Disease Prevention Act: https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/…/BILLS-116hr6800ih.pdf.
ALERT: California SB1175
California Senate Bill 1175 (SB1175) was introduced in 2019 as the Iconic African Species Protection Act with a stated purpose of banning sales and certain possession of listed live animals or any parts (i.e. taxidermied animals, ivory, etc.). Yesterday, SB1175 was amended (as expected following media statements a few weeks ago).
The amendments to SB1175 include:
Requiring the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to ban the importation of certain species that may transmit diseases to humans;
Prohibiting the operation of a live animal market (definition does not include reptile shows).
Per the bill, DFW would be required “to immediately suspend any authorization to import a wild animal species into the state when the evidence suggests zoonotic transmission from this species, or a closely related species, could be responsible for a novel, readily transmissible human disease in order to protect the public health.”
“Live animal market” means a retail food market where, in the regular course of business, animals are stored alive and sold to consumers for the purpose of human consumption. “Animal” means frogs, turtles, and birds sold for the purpose of human consumption, with the exception of poultry.
We will have more details posted soon. Briefly, this bill should not affect herpetoculture but the risk of overreach lies within.
Read the bill at http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml….
ALERT: Louisiana
Louisiana Representative Neil Riser has introduced House Concurrent Resolution 61 (HCR61). HCR61 urges the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF) to review the regulation governing the possession and ownership of certain non-native species and potentially prohibit additional species. This may cover all types of animals, not just reptiles. Specifically, HCR61 calls for a review of monitor lizards, other lizard species, and “any other potentially invasive species.”
HCR61 means that we may be seeing proposed regulations and/or bans by DWF. This would be a regulatory action meaning it would go through the DWF rulemaking process and not through the legislature (legislative process).
Get more details at www.facebook.com/…/photos/a.398227663592526/2913132235435377.
Pennsylvania Alert
House Bill 2450 (HB2450) was introduced on April 27 and amends (changes) Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The main scope of the bill is to redefine “exotic wildlife.” This bill actually removes several species from the current exotic wildlife designation meaning some species which are currently wrongfully banned will be legal to keep. This bill applies to mammals and birds only. See the link below for information.
Get full details at www.facebook.com/…/phot…/a.2656047597810510/2890563311025603.
South Carolina Update
H4831 and S885 died on 5/18/20 due to session adjournment. Read the alert at www.facebook.com/…/phot…/a.2656047597810510/2656458114436125.
Colorado Update
Colorado! Senate Bill 20-125 (SB20-125) was postponed indefinitely on 5/28/20. Read the alert at www.facebook.com/…/phot…/a.2656047597810510/2696747393740530.
Find A Vet
Need a good herp veterinarian? The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) can help. ARAV provides a free Find-A-Vet service at http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661.
