HeavyHittah
LivingReefs is like home
i didnt see any info on this bill on here anywhere so i didnt know if you guys knew about it or not, i just wanted to do my part and share just in case.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...h669ih.txt.pdf
and here is a letter you can mail in to make your voice heard
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Congressman (name here)
Address street
Washington, D.C. (Zip code)
Dear Representative,
We are writing you today to communicate our position on an issue that affects the pet industry of the United States. I am speaking of HR 669, the “Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act”.
The United States imports over 2500 species of tropical fish every year as well as many other types of exotic pets. The majority of the people purchasing these animals and supporting that economy are responsible and dedicated to their hobby. We’d like to share with you our viewpoint on the matter.
Sincerely,
(Your name here)
Member of LivingReefs.com
Hobbyist dedicated to prevent the release of exotic species
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-...h669ih.txt.pdf
and here is a letter you can mail in to make your voice heard
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12 Sep 2010
Address street
Washington, D.C. (Zip code)
Dear Representative,
We are writing you today to communicate our position on an issue that affects the pet industry of the United States. I am speaking of HR 669, the “Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act”.
The United States imports over 2500 species of tropical fish every year as well as many other types of exotic pets. The majority of the people purchasing these animals and supporting that economy are responsible and dedicated to their hobby. We’d like to share with you our viewpoint on the matter.
- The majority of animals imported into the United States for the pet industry are exotic species that are from tropical climates. While the release of these species in very few areas of the country can pose problems, a vast majority of these species cannot survive within the United States due to our mostly temperate climate.
- This bill infringes upon the rights of the states to govern themselves regarding what animals are permitted and prohibited within it’s borders. All of the states in the union have laws prohibiting certain species due to localized concerns. Species of concern in Florida, Hawaii, and Guam are of little or no concern in most of the other states in the union. The states are already governing themselves appropriately and should continue to do so.
- This bill would require the US Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce it. The USFWS is already strained for budget and personnel, and cannot afford further responsibilities like this bill would require. It isn’t feasible to have them take on the massive task of regulating the import of exotic animals without a massive increase in funding. This is completely inappropriate considering the state of our economy.
- This bill would require that any animal not on the approved list to undergo an analysis to determine the risk factor as it pertains to the invasion of the species on native habitat. This would be costly and time consuming. As stated before, there are 2500 fish species imported every year, not to mention the birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, etc. In order to deal with the cost factor of all of these analyses, the bill proposes a fee for every animal that would be added to the approved list. The burden would be on the business owners who sell these animals.
- The pet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. If this bill were to pass, the franchised businesses such as Petco and Petsmart would be adversely affected but would most likely survive. The smaller businesses such as tropical fish retailers, wholesalers, aquaculture facilities, and reptile stores would most likely be pushed out of business. This bill is another negative on an economy that doesn’t need any more negative momentum.
- The vast majority of the species in question have been in the U.S. for decades already with little impact except in the few states that have tropical climates (Southern Florida, Hawaii).
- Our forums lead the way in providing education to hobbyists. We are actively engaged in educating hobbyists against the release of captive animals whether they are native or otherwise.
Sincerely,
(Your name here)
Member of LivingReefs.com
Hobbyist dedicated to prevent the release of exotic species
