Ernie,
They didn't have seasons, bag limits or legal trapping areas in Texas. They went straight to banning. Not banning the meat harvesters which they used as the goal of their actions but the hobbyists, collectors and breeders. Florida had some of these restrictions but maybe they weren't enough? Or maybe LE should have enforced them? And as you say, if they are not going to follow regulations then it doesn't matter what those regulations are.
If we follow the logic of allowing our rights or privileges to be taken away because of a few bad apples then we are ALL doomed. They are working on turtles now, amphibs, lizards and snakes are next. If we say that LE won't do their job so we better ban it then we are ALL doomed. If we say that we should ban the harvest of species X because we don't have the data to allow it then we are ALL doomed. This is the PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE. If we allow the precautionary principle to be THE principle that guides us we are ALL doomed.
What about this one, if you allow citizens to keep exotic species X it could possibly escape thus it should be banned. Or, since we don't know if exotic species X could establish itself in the US because we don't have the data we should put it on the prohibited list. Sound familiar? HR 669.
We have to be regulated. We have been rolling along without regulation. We have had people abuse their privileges (turtle meat harvesters). The Tragedy of the Commons does occur and will continue to occur no matter what. If we don't regulate ourselves, this industry will be regulated for us. Since we haven't been regulating ourselves we have had all these crappy regulations passed that are not in our best interest but instead are in the best interests of AR groups, regulatory biologists and agenda pushing academics. We have to track all harvest so we can manage it, this requires regulation.
We MUST demand that academics and regulatory agencies get the data. We MUST demand that LE enforce the regulations. We MUST manage harvest using principles that are scientifically sound and that are applied equally across all species. No exceptions. We need to go NRA on them.
This is going to cost money. To do this the way that it has to be done it is going to cost money. Money to buy...oopps I mean lobby politicians. Money so LE can enforce the regulations (job creation). Money so unbiased researchers can get the data (job creation and research funds). Where is this money going to come from? Part of it should come from this industry. It is going to come from embracing the fact that this industry is COMMERCIAL. If you sell your offspring you are commercial. If you spend money to pursue your hobby you are commercial. All pet keepers spend money but if you reproduce or commerce in a species or product you are commercial. The other part of the money should come from the citizens of the US at large to pay for their impacts via roads, pollution and development.
Yes, for the most part talking on forums does nothing concrete. What it does is it allows us to educate the ignorant. It allows us to debate the issues and hopefully come to a concensus. It allows hypocrites to be exposed. You know who you are. Important strategies are not discussed on forums.
Welkerii
El Paso, TX
