Aaron,

First of all, Andrew was updating us on at least four banning laws from around the country. The turtle agenda pushed by conservation groups and academics is also a banning agenda that has been in full swing now for several years without much fight from the industry. It has outlawed the sale of wild caught animals, which is wrong. I has outlawed the sale of captive born animals, which is wrong. It uses “hype” and it plays “fast and loose” with the facts to push an agenda and that is wrong. Agenda pushers use the excuse of the China trade to take way the rights of American citizens and that is wrong. This is what was used in Texas to ban the hobbyists, dealers and collectors while the food collectors can continue on with business a usual and that is wrong. So there is A LOT wrong with this agenda. And the turtle breeders have gotten screwed. We need to fight back against the banning agenda. Remember the slippery slope.

We need to stick to the proven arguments of the following: We need to support sustainable harvest. We need to support bag limits (not bans) for those species for which there is concern. We need to support the right to sell wild caught. We need to support no possession limits. We need to support the right to keep any species regardless of its assumed “danger.” So, Barry’s suggestion is bad because he proposes bans. If it is shown that the population of turtle species X can only support 100 adults a year that can be harvested then so be it. But if there is a ban on anything over 2 inches then you can’t do that. Not to mention the four inch rule is still in effect. What happens if a hobbyists in Germany wants to buy a pair of adult turtles? Under Barry’s law he couldn’t. This is bad for small businesses. I don’t like arbitrary bans that are not supported by data, plain and simple.

Don’t you think China has enough of our job’s already? Why not create jobs here in the US? With my approach, it is fair to all, it uses data and it creates a system for herps that is already used by every wildlife agency for game animals. It creates jobs for individuals through small businesses and it also creates jobs at wildlife agencies. How will it create jobs at wildlife agencies, you ask? They will need to monitor populations. They will need to manage harvest. They will need to track collectors. They can give jobs to recent college grads who can’t find work. There are very few jobs for the amount of people coming out of college, trust me on that one. They may also be able to fund academics through grants as well. My way is by far superior in so many ways. And we haven't even talked about the MASSIVE conservation benefits of my plan for herps.

That is why I have a problem with Barry’s plan.

Welkerii
El Paso, TX

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