WARNING- HR6311 Reintroduced as HR669- BAN ON BOAS & PYTHONS!!

WARNING- HR6311 Reintroduced as HR669- BAN ON BOAS & PYTHONS!!



Below you will read a press release by the most powerful Animal Rights Group on the planet. As predicted by USARK, HR6311 has been reintroduced as HR 669. If passed as written this bill will BAN the import, purchase, sale, trade and breeding of many, many reptiles and amphibians... including Boa, Python and Eunectes. If this bill passes it will destroy the reptile community and industry overnight! PLEASE JOIN USARK IN FIGHTING HR669!!!

SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST HR669

***SEND THIS ALERT TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST!!!

Stand by for USARK's Campaign to defeat HR 669.



http://www.hsus.org/press_and_public...ed_012709.html





Congresswoman Bordallo Introduces Bill to Protect People and Native Wildlife by Addressing Exotic Animal Importation


January 27, 2009


The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International welcomed the introduction yesterday of the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 669) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam).

The bill is designed to prevent the introduction and establishment in the United States of nonnative wildlife species that may harm the economy, the environment, human health or native wildlife. H.R. 669 would require the federal government to assess the risk of nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation and, with public input, decide if the importation of these animals should be allowed or prohibited.

"Each year, millions of wild animals are captured overseas and imported into the United States," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "This trade results in the suffering and death of large numbers of animals, poses unnecessary risks to public health and jeopardizes native wildlife populations here and abroad. We are grateful to Congresswoman Bordallo for working to address this global problem."

Imported wild animals may escape or may be let loose by owners who cannot properly care for them. These animals sometimes die from starvation, predation or exposure. Sometimes, however, they thrive - putting people, domestic pets and native wildlife at risk.

Facts

Under current regulations, the Fish and Wildlife Service can declare species "injurious," making it illegal to import these animals or sell them over state lines as pets. However, this process typically takes years to complete and occurs after species are established, when eradicating them can be expensive, inhumane and nearly impossible.
Congresswoman Bordallo represents the island of Guam, where brown tree snakes accidentally introduced after World War II have decimated native bird and lizard populations.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 the United States imported the following numbers of live, wild animals: nearly 88,000 mammals; 259,000 birds; more than 1 million reptiles; more than 5 million amphibians and more than 200 million fish.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora aims to ensure sustainability and humane treatment in the international wildlife trade, but many species are not covered and even covered species may be harmed by trade.


Link - get on it guys!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/u...311/index.html

Just so you all know, this petition seems to be specifically for removing boas and pythons from the list. It says nothing against the list as a whole. I didn't read closely enough. Not that this is bad, its just that you need to do more if you think you were objecting to the whole bill and not just the boas and pythons part.

Who knew that a representative of Guam could champion something like this

Harald, is there any way you can edit the Quote stuff from the title? I didn't catch it before I posted it.

Didnt people say that online petitions dont do anything?

Originally Posted by Mooing Tricycle

Didnt people say that online petitions dont do anything?

I can't imagine USARK would keep doing them, if they didn't accomplish anything.

<side note to BIll - posted here vs PM, so it is clear that I did not edit the post>
Bill, as a contibuting member, you should be able to edit your own posts. To change the title, when you access the first Edit screen, click on Go Advanced...that will let you make the change.

Originally Posted by Bill & Amy

I can't imagine USARK would keep doing them, if they didn't accomplish anything.

I dunno, Ill have to look into it more, but There have been a few online petitions, only to be posted on by other members, that online petitions/digital names dont... do anything. Ill post back later, once i find out more.

It would be nice, of course, if they did work.

I don't think they can hurt but my gut feeling is that they don't do much good either. I think it would be more effective trying ways to get real signatures on paper like contacting reptile shows and clubs but maybe they are doing that as well. I would think every animal show in the country would have petitions up to try to fight this.

Personally, I am more concerned about the implications this might have in the tropical fish hobby than the reptile hobby. I mean after all, for me there are plenty of native snakes I can sell and I sell them 3 or 4 to 1 over the pythons anyway but as far as fish, I would say that virtually 100% of the species I sell are non-native.

I do think that it is only a matter of time before something like this gets passed. Hopefully wiser heads will prevail and something a little more specific can be worked out. The thing that scares me about this is its like a blank check so to speak. "Pass the law now and we will fill in the details later" Hopefully this very aspect will make people realize what could happen if this law passes.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

<side note to BIll - posted here vs PM, so it is clear that I did not edit the post>
Bill, as a contibuting member, you should be able to edit your own posts. To change the title, when you access the first Edit screen, click on Go Advanced...that will let you make the change.

Learn something new everyday, thanks Harald.