Indeed, it looks like there's an "all-or-nothing" gamble being done here. Knowing that government's purpose isn't to enrich our lives, but rather to make their own jobs easier (hence the inability to get captive-bred out-of-state specimens otherwise considered "threatened" or "special concern" in the wild in your own state), it would be much easier for them to say no to all reptile sales if the treated turtles rank lower than them.

I notice that no mention at all is made here of the numerous other problems involved with the mass sale of RES--massive mortality at the hands of inexperienced keepers (which the business basically relies on--you can't have a going concern selling millions of animals that live decades in a country the size of the U.S without counting on the majority dying off), release into areas they aren't found naturally (a problem that would become evident if they examine the countries that used to buy these from LA), and the poorly informed consumers that contribute to both of the former (being either intentionally misled or merely under-informed as to the costly care requirements and adult size of their potential acquisitions).

I can't say I greatly sympathize with the turtle farmers at this point. The writing has been on the wall for some time about RES--they're hardy, adaptable, and breed like crazy. The same things that make them easy to farm have also made them a pain in the neck overseas, and have made efforts to grow them closer to home that much easier (if talk of the Chinese breaking the market is to be believed). They should've diversified a long time ago, switching to species that fetch much better prices overseas and are more welcome in the pet trade there--spotted turtles, for example.

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