Jeff and All,



Jeff is correct in his statement that not everyone that is interested in herps can be in an all inclusive group. The reason this is so is because folks have differing agendas. Many academics and regulatory agency biologists(they come from academia) do not have the same goals as private herpers do. Most academics want to protect herps at all costs, finatically so in many cases, even if that means taking away the rights of private citizens. Additionally, many don't keep herps so they do not respect those that want to. Further, many have hijacked an Animal Rights Group agenda when it comes to catching, keeping, breeding, selling and possessing herps.



The private herpers should be able to come toegether under one umbrella because we all have the same agenda: to acquire, keep, breed and sell herps as a hobby or business. The problem I have seen is that many private herpers do not realize where their captives come from - wild caught. Many folks straddle the fence of conservation, preservation and keeping herps. They try to please those with a different agenda (academics and agency biologists) and that will never work because the agenda and goals are different in many cases.



But there are win/win solutions in conservation. Conservation means wise use. Those that respect individual rights, realize economic realities, and support valid geographically relavent science can come together. If we can weed out the AR agenda, the brown nosing, and educate private folks we can come together. We can model the herp industry as the fishing industry where there are two sub-groups: commercial and recreational if need be.



This is getting long winded. The bottom line is that I believe private folks can come together under one umbrella. Academic and zoo herpetologists can pick which side they fall on. They either fully support private herpers or they don't.



Mike Welker

El Paso, TX

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