Exporting Reptiles

[stiffler]

Ok, currently exporting of Australian reptiles is prohibited under law. I think with the current captive breeding programs in this country it is now time for the Australian Goverment to re-address this issue with a goal to allow limited numbers of Captive Bred Australian reptiles to be exported to overseas countries. This will have the effect of wiping out the trade of smuggled reptiles and also bring about a positive expansion of the breeding of Australian Reptiles here in Oz.
Would be interested in peoples opinions on this and also if anyone is aware of how/if this would happen?

 

[Jason]

i completely disagrre (no offence) i believe that we shouldnt be aloud to EXPORT our herps, by exporting them it wouldnt stop smuggling cause it would always be cheaper to smuggle, and also i reckon that we should keep our animals and breed them our selves, keep all the good animals in oz other wise all the really good ones would go overseas and then all those cool colours and patterns that many people want to get one day, possibly wont happen because the american BIG breeders with have all the money and take all our great snakes, befor us little keepers have a chance of getting them, also it would probably result in an inflaited price. imo no exporting!!!! but importing, well....thats another topic..lol.

 

[Jason]

good topic though, interesting to see peoples opinions.

 

[ari]

Maybe or Maybe not??

I kinda agree with Jason - why give other countries our good blood lines & preserved reptiles. Due to laws we can't get anything in return. All that would happen is the other countries would make heaps out of it. Some countries could by heaps - breed them up and then sell them at cheaper prices than what Australians would sell them for if exporting was allowed.

Besides alot of the morphs, albinos and other variances that have kinda come about are due to inbreeding in Europe & USA I reacon.

Maybe I am wrong - just my opinion. Any thoughts??

 

[zard]

i think that for various reasons including preserving bloodlines, health and diseases no animals should be exported or imported. This to me is even more apparent with the bird flu hoo haa going on at the moment

JMO

 

[stiffler]

Ok, I think that at the moment there is a bit of a boom with reptiles so to speak, but this will not continue. In the next few years things will indead slow down. Then when you have fewer snakes been bred because the demand has reduced, then I believe most people will scream out for another market to sell there reptiles to. The bigger the demand the more chance of a healthy "industry" so to speak. With the current interest in keeping pythons for instance there has been an increase in the choice available.

 

[stiffler]

I do not agree with the importing of Reptiles into Australia from overseas however.

 

[peterescue]

Zoos can and do trade their animals that are excess to needs overseas.
Reptile Pk is a case in point.
Rattlers for albino blueys, or roughies for cobras or burms. Whatever.
You need a good quarantine set up. I guess thats why ARP hired Tim Nias.

 

[NCHERPS]

Ok, I think that at the moment there is a bit of a boom with reptiles so to speak, but this will not continue. In the next few years things will indead slow down. Then when you have fewer snakes been bred because the demand has reduced, then I believe most people will scream out for another market to sell there reptiles to. The bigger the demand the more chance of a healthy "industry" so to speak. With the current interest in keeping pythons for instance there has been an increase in the choice available.

IMO,Instead of exporting reptiles, we should develop our own countries development.
I think that it would be better to try and publicise the responsible keeping of reptiles within petshops nationwide and promote and develop the hobby with professionally run reptile 'Expo's', where reptiles can be shown, displayed and sold to members of the public with appropriate licence.
If NSW petshops were allowed to sell reptiles, it would also boost the industry considerably IMO. Of course I feel that the petshops or reptile shops would have to have experienced people running them, which might be a problem for some, but in the NPWS only granted licences to experienced people with say Cat 2 licence and/or have completed a short Tafe course, it might help weed out a few get rich quick petshops from getting involved, and leave just the passionate ones wanting to promote and grow a healthy long term business.

Just my 2 cents.

Neil

 

[Retic]

I agree with both importing and exporting, if it is done properly there are very few real reasons not to do it. I'm not sure what our animals would be worth as they have most of them but I am sure some big breeders would like to get some new bloodlines.
I don't agree with the argument that we should keep them and breed them ourselves, there would certainly be enough for everyone without damaging our gene pool.
Also legal exports wouldn't have any effect on smuggling, as has been said smuggling is much cheaper.

 

[Retic]

I should also add that I see no sign of any downturn in the popularity of reptiles and far from decreasing in coming years I fully anticipate numbers to swell markedly.

 

[ari]

I agree with BOA 100%. Because I have been after some species for 1-2years, some waiting lists are 1-2 years full. These days you have to get in quick. The demand is out weighing the production so to speak. And generally when its like that prices do increase. Anyone who has certain geckos species & BHP & womas is sure to make a killing once they are breeding.

 

[mickousley]

we cant even educate our own reptile keepers not too crossbreed how many fools own a cross diamond/carpet i say keep the blood line in Australia and pure
mick

 

[Jason]

yer but by exporting, what im saying is that the buyers over seas dont want our plain animals, they want the unusual ones, and by allowing them to take them out of the country, we are loosing it and we are left with just normal ones (not that there is anything wrong with normals) its just that we are missing out.

 

[Splitmore]

Ok, currently exporting of Australian reptiles is prohibited under law

Not correct stiffler, many reptiles are exported legally to other countries. This whole topic, while promoting healthy discussion is irrelivant as export of reptiles overseas happens quite reguarly.

 

[Jason]

many reptiles are exported legally to other countries. This whole topic, while promoting healthy discussion is irrelivant as export of reptiles overseas happens quite reguarly.

do mean zoo's and parks or privetly aswell, eg privet keeper to privet keeper.

 

[Retic]

Because you don't agree with them doesn't make these people fools. I'm not sure how sending some animals overseas somehow affects the bloodline here in Australia.
Diamond/Carpets are a naturally occuring intergrade.

we cant even educate our own reptile keepers not too crossbreed how many fools own a cross diamond/carpet i say keep the blood line in Australia and pure
mick

 

[newtosnakes]

Speaking of this, can anyone explain (Jeff from NPWS perhaps) why NSW petshops are not allowed to sell reptiles when they can in other states??
Just a question???

 

[stiffler]

From what I have read on some overseas websites, they would like to import snakes from Australia for different reasons.
1. They have limited bloodlines and gene pool so they feel bringing new blood will benefit them.
2. Not all species are widely available O/S. For instance the much underrated Murray Darling which sells for a couple of hundred bucks here would sell for approx $1000 US O/S. Imbricartas are another species not available O/S.
3. We have some of the best examples of Morelia in the world here and good snakes would be in demand in the USA. For instance the Diamonds here in Oz are so far ahead of what is been bred in the USA and Europe it's not funny.

While some people say that exports won't stop smuggling I dissagree. If someone in Australia was breeding Albino Jungles they would fetch upward of $10,000 US. Someone willing to pay $10,000 for a snake is not going to risk sticking it in a hollowed out shoe for 30 odd hours. If exports were illegal they most likely would smuggle it. If exports were legal they would not.
It would make smuggling a less attractive option.

I agree with Neil that more can be done in Australia as well but I still think now that the captive bred numbers are very safe and snakes are no longer been taken from the wild (mostly) there is no real reason to ban it.

 

[Dicco]

Speaking of this, can anyone explain (Jeff from NPWS perhaps) why NSW petshops are not allowed to sell reptiles when they can in other states??
Just a question???

Because reptiles in pet shops are commonly kept in horrid conditions, the staff have no idea about them and even with the compulsery cource in QLD most people whp go pay no real attention because they just want to make money off it. Saying that I know some greaty reptiles stores, it just depends on the people running the place.