providing income for the zoos and perhaps further
funding (through import permits?) for conserva-
tion and education, together with essentially
eliminating the incentive for illegal importation.
The ban on exportation of Australian species may
also be justified on the basis that it discourages
poaching and smuggling, however, this argument
has been proved to be flawed. In reality the ban
merely served to fuel demand for Australian
reptiles overseas and drove prices sky high. The
monetary inducement combined with trifling
penalties to create a very attractive scenario for
smugglers. There is now a pretty good foundation
of Australian animals in overseas markets, but
there are still great opportunities for Australian
hobbyists to export captive-bred, disease-free
stock, and once again generate some revenue for
conservation, etc., in the process through fees for
export licenses or permits. This may have a far
greater negative impact on smuggling than a
blanket ban.
In no way I am suggesting we abolish all laws and allow any and every species of exotic reptile to start flooding into the
country. This article is intended to stimulate further discussion and highlight the inadequacies of the current legislation.
Are we still trying to catch and restrain a horse that bolted decades ago? Should some laws be relaxed to allow harmless,
non-invasive species of reptiles to be kept in the same way as plants, birds, fish and other animals? I would not stop
keeping, breeding and enjoying Australia’s native species, but a pet chameleon would top off my reptile collection nicely!
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