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USFW SERVICE needs to change...help me please!!!!

Justin Mitcham

Justin Mitcham

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As many of you know over the past several months USFW service has changed it's proceedures regarding CITES applications, instead of the normal few weeks it takes for processing the wait time has increased dramtically to 6 months.This change has hurt my own and many other buisnesses,we can not hold animals for this amount of time and still operate efficiently. Who would buy an animal to have to wait 6 months to get it,who would want to hold and house an animal for this length of time.
USFW Service is a SERVICE, they must by law perform in the best interest of the people, I have consulted a corporate lawyer and he agrees that they are in the wrong both ethically and legally. There changes are unreasonable at best. My goal though petition is to change this, I have spoken to the Chief, Branch of Consultation and Monitoring at USFW Division of Scientific Authority in Washington D.C. and he is on our side and agrees with my position 100%. He has instructed me to form this petition and letter below and with his advice we will change this. PLEASE for the sake of our industry, our rights and our families sign this petition via sending me an email and please include any comments you may have. Let's not sit by and be complacent. They are in the wrong and this is our chance NOW to change things.

Below is a copy of the letter I will be sending representing the petition. Send all correspondences to my [email protected] address,I will save each email and when the appropriate time I will forward this to them.




Dear USFW Service,

Hello,
I am writing this letter on behalf of many who have been affected by the drastic and unreasobale changes your service has implemented regarding CITES applications. It has been brought painfully to my attention that your changes is in effect wiping out much of the reptile buisness community through excessive wait periods of 3-6 months for CITES. Many companies,(including my own) have lost or will loose 20% , 30% to 100% of there buisness because of international competition and excessive wait. It is no longer feasible for companies to wait , hold ,feed for many months these animals AFTER the sale has been made. What customer would pay for an item and then have to wait 6 months before the item is shipped, when they can buy from other international dealers.What company would want to hold these animals, take care of them and assume responsibility if they perish ,which happens, to only make a small profit. It is unreasonable , combined with the increase in frieght cost etc..we are no longer able to compete in the internation markets. USFW is a sevice, it must perform in the best interest of it's customers the AMERICAN PEOPLE. This is not happening, you have given many buisnesses a death sentence either intentionally or unintentionally. We formally request an immediate review and change of these proceedures. We do not want to have to unite and persure this matter legally, but at this time we have no choice, our livelyhood is being threatened. Below are signatures of the many companies , families and breeders who have been affected.
Regards,
Justin Mitcham
 
Justin,

Six months for an export permit seems inordinate, stifling, and just plain ridiculous. And here I thought that the Bush administration wanted to make it easier for small US businesses to compete globally. When I imported some herps recently from a European breeder (CITES II animals), it took him no more than about four weeks to get his CITES paperwork from his government.

Of course if these are US native species that you are exporting then there are few other sources, European bred herps generally being so much more expensive. Also, your competitors here in the US are under the same constraints as you are and so your customers have little choice but to "suck it up" if they want US CBB animals or WC US native species. They will have to cover your increased costs and suffer the wait as there isn't another place to get them. Small consolation I know because the wait will drive some business away no doubt.

I will "sign" your petition.
 
Justin, you might want to proofread (or at least spellcheck) your letter before sending it off. JMO, but typos and misspellings tend to detract from the desired impression.
 
Yes you are right, I am in San Francisco right now using someone elses computer, can't seem to find a way to do the spell check, I guess I am a little too enthusiastic here...couldn't wait till I got home. Anyhow PLEASE forward this to as many people as you can. This is for the better of all, seems everyday we are loosing more and more rights, now it's time to take a stand.

To Jim many thanks, please pass along.
Justin
 
Do you know the reasoning behind this new decision? Who voted on or developed this change in policy? Before someone says that they are against a decision, they should definitely be aware of background information concerning whey the decision was made. Just saying that the decision will hurt your business will not make them change the policy. If you tell them how the decision is hurting them and how it will cost them money(i.e. lack of applications due to decline in exporting business, etc.) that is a completely different story :D
 
Yes you are right,thanks for the input, this is why I would like each person to include comments in there email, so they can see how it affects people in different ways,basically, we have all but stopped doing CITES due to the fact we do not want to hold animals the length of time it takes..too costly, too much work. This is how it has personally affected my buisness the most.
Please forward to as many people as possible.
Justin
 
Justin,

If you don't mind my asking, is exporting reptiles your main source of income?
 
this is how it breaks down...
60% export
40% breeding and domestic sales

as for the company we do about 2 million a year 90-95% export so you can see how much it hurts.
 
You have valid concern, but I am not sure if the BOI is the correct place for it to be discussed. I would think maybe the general discussion forum. Is there a herp laws forum? If so, that might also be a good place to bring this.
 
My way of looking at it is that USFW is supposed to perform a service, currently we are paying taxes to pay for that service, well that service is subpar at best now.Since it affects the community I feel this forum is an appropriate place for this topic since basically we are getting shafted.

Now are you all cowards or am I going to get some help here, personally I feel if you read this thread and don't act or sign, then you deserve whatever comes down the pike.Obviously you don't give a damn .Our right to keep and sale reptiles is under attack from multiple angles. There has been a few hundred views on this thread and only a few post... that makes me sick to my stomach.
There are a lot of fence sitters here, time is now people...
 
Justin

I'm curious as to why the proceess is now taking longer. Have the procedures been changed or is the same process simply being dragged out?
 
Justin,

I would probably have your attorney write the letter, with the necessary legalese to get their attention. Appendix II does cover a wide range of species, so the extended waiting period will have a profound effect on those dealers who import/export these animals. Have you received any explanation why the waiting period has increased so drastically? Apathy in our industry is nothing new, which is why we are an easy target. What does PIJAC have to say about this?
 
My 'fence-sitting' is merely based on the fact that I would like some more information and details about the new restrictions before I act upon them. Is there a website that outlines the changes? That would help me because I would be able to more accurately address specific issues and suggest alternatives. Signing a letter that is viewed as just a "complaint" would probably go unnoticed.

If the new changes make it more difficult for shady importers to bring in 100's and 1000's of WC reptiles just to unload them for $15 after half of them have died, then I would want to know that, because I would certainly agree with it. HOWEVER, if there's an alternative to screening against such 'brokers' then I would rather suggest an alternative that would not drastically affect everyone.

My first reaction is to oppose it because any new legislation affecting the herp industry either directly or indirectly affects all herpers. I think a properly waged protest against unnecessary restrictions may help thwart future restrictions. So, it's not that I disagree with you Justin, it's just that I would like some more information before I respond. I would however, like to help in any way that I can.

Paul
 
Paul,

One does not need CITES to import Appendix II animals, only to export them. The permits are issued by the country from which they are exported. At least that was my experience when I imported some animals recently. So this "slow down" will not affect the 1000's of WC Nile Monitors and Ball Pythons coming in each year.
 
Jim O said:
Paul,

One does not need CITES to import Appendix II animals, only to export them. The permits are issued by the country from which they are exported. At least that was my experience when I imported some animals recently. So this "slow down" will not affect the 1000's of WC Nile Monitors and Ball Pythons coming in each year.
Click to expand...
Damn.
Well, something should.
See? I obviously need more info before I can be of much use! :raspberry
 
Now I know enough to know I don't know much about this.

If I'm reading it right anyone who would want to export an animal would have to wait 6 months, is that right?

If so, and if everyone has to wait, what is the harm? I know it would cost more to house and feed them, but wouldn't that be it? If the buyer wants that snake and can only get it here, he will have to wait, no mater who he got it from. Is that right?

Like I said I don't know a lot about exporting.

Is there any place I could go to find out more about this change? You know, why they are changing it, what makes it take longer? that kind of stuff.
 
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