Gauteng Pet hobby is in danger
And I am stating this as a fact.
Please sign the petition:
http://www.petitions24.com/natcon_petition
A link to the proposed bill:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fbftek88d...ion%20Bill.pdf
Thread on TASA (Tropical Fish Forums SA)
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/sh...obby-in-danger
Thread on APSA (Aquatic plants SA)
http://www.apsa.co.za/board/index.ph...&topic=10735.0
Some details summed up by a member on APSA
SAPTA do know about this and are going, but the more people who turn up there on the day the more likely we are to get our voices heard. The following text is shamelessly plagiarised from a friend, but he'll forgive me, it's for a good cause:
All venomous exotic snakes and lizards will be illegal, all
> crocodilians and tortoises/terrapins. This list will also include all
> tamarind monkeys, Capuchins, all dwarf hedgehogs, fennec foxes, sugar
> gliders, Chipmunks, Squirrels, while things like guinea pigs, dogs and
> cats are unlisted as acceptable "pet species", making it questionable
> if these are now also illegal, while leaving only a few species of
> things such as bearded dragons, non-venomous snakes and a handful of
> mammals such as hamsters and tenrecs as being "legal"
>
> "Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with provisions of this
> Chapter is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction in case of
> an offence referred to in section 22 to a fine or to imprisonment for
> a period not exceeding 10 years or to both fine and such
> imprisonment."
>
> "Restricted Activities with alien invertebrates
> 66. No person may without a permit import into, or convey in or
> through, the Province, any alien invertebrate for entomology,
> commercial or collection purposes."
> So this means no meal worms, super worms, roaches, silkworms, mantids
> or stick insects. The penalty is as above.
>
> That also means that although we can keep certain exotics, we cannot
> feed them. This will affect people who keep birds, spiders, reptiles
> and fish, anything that may benefit from live insect prey.
>
> This law will criminalise a huge section of the pet feeding industry,
> as well as people who already own the tens of thousands of, legally
> obtained, captive bred specimens of species that are now suddenly
> considered illegal.
>
>
> It will not only affect the people keeping exotic (and non-) pets, it
> will affect pet-shops, breeders of both "legal" and newly "illegal"
> pets and the suppliers of feeders, resulting in a market crash and
> probably unemployment for people whose livelihood depends on these
> species. Furthermore, people who have now suddenly illegal pets may
> release them into the wild, be forced to destroy them or simply go
> underground, where they cannot be regulated in any way other than the
> punitive.
> Most of these animals are extremely expensive to obtain, house, feed
> and obtain vetinary care for, who will reimburse the owners for their
> investments, and how will the animals in question be cared for in
> future? (This IS an animal rights issue!), not to mention the loss of
> income to qualified exotic vetinarians.
> .
> The trade in alien animals has been largely unregulated for decades,
> and this sort of blanket ban will likely make matters worse, rather
> than better, while, to my knowledge, there are NO escaped or feral
> colonies of the targeted species in South Africa, both pets and
> feeders.
> There is already space in national legislation for black-listing
> certain species, and regulating the trade in others. This is
> unnecessarily draconian and is going to have huge impacts on the
> animal loving community.
Source
And from another member:
One thing you left out...
You will need a permit for each species of fish you keep.
You will need a permit to transport each species of fish you keep.
That means, you wont be able to go to the pet shop and buy a guppy if you don't have the correct permit, and a correct permit to transport that species.
I honestly thought that this was scrapped a long time ago, but it seems like it's back. It's a nasty piece of work, no doubt, and the more people who stand against it, the better.
I know that SAPTA will be attending this meeting. We are hoping that the entire trade takes a stand on this.
Source
