" If we dont regulate ourselves with stricter guidelines for selling, keeping and owning larger snakes then the Government will out right ban them. "



That's a common perspective but ........Can you name one commodity industry that successfully does this? How can any free enterprise industry dealing commodity's publicly be expected to self regulate itself as a whole? Generally all crimes, accidents, etc. Involving privately marketed commodity's are dealt with on a case by case basis. The owner, the individual distributor, possibly the manufacturer if it involves another party, only those directly connected to the incident are held accountable. The live animal trade should NOT be treated any differently. Licensing and permitting systems are fine as long as they provide for the long term sustainability of the industry.



Activist groups have always used the media very effectively. By making every little thing front page news and making exceedingly rare incidents appear to be everyday occurrences they are brain washing not only the general public but also a segment of reptile keepers. If the real numbers are looked at in the same big picture manor as other industries, it quickly becomes clear how small reptile related problems really are. What Im seeing from a segment of keepers is akin to battered victim syndrome. The victim gets smacked around and brain washed so much they start believing that they really are the problem. The trades not perfect buts its far from the problem that some are making it out to be. Just like with any battered victim being subservient isn't going to make the REAL problem go away. Its the attacker not the victim that's the REAL problem.



Ernie Eison

WESTWOOD ACRES REPTILE FARM INC.

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