G’day all,
I recently wrote an article about the Oenpelli python project I have been working on for a decade and it is in the current Scales and Tails Magazine (Issue 30 – July 2013).
At the end of that article I mentioned the idea that we - as a very large collective of people interested in Reptiles - should have a national representative body that looks after our interests regarding reptiles. That is a tough ask, because any group of reptile people will have very different views on what is good and bad for the hobby, or even for a particular reptile.
I am particularly interested in us all having a say in areas such as:
1. The way that we deal as a group with the wildlife authorities, such that we are consulted and have fair input into decisions that will impact us at both state and national level.
2. Input into the review of state and territories licensing systems to make things easier for keepers and for the authorities.
3. Review the reasons that some states have restrictions on many common reptiles and try to promote logical input from us to facilitate flexibility in their views.
4. Changes in the current ‘lock it up’ mentality that will allow us to make an important contribution to the conservation of Australian reptiles.
Changes that will better align us with the pet industry for mutual benefit.
5. Highlight the skills we have in keeping many common reptile species that can be transferred to other projects and critters.
I would like to think the reptile hobby is mature enough to have a parent group that has the capacity and public support to represent our needs, whether it is at a local grass roots level or in Canberra. There are hundreds of thousands of reptile keeper’s in Australia at the moment and that number is still growing at a great rate. If we are united by a desire to make our hobby better, I believe we can be a strong lobby group. If we, as a coherent group, are able to present a united front on issues - then we can forcefully tackle issues that currently just don’t make sense. At present we are subject to a position of subservience and must accept almost without question the laws, policies and direction we are faced with by authorities.
Without getting too wordy, I am hoping that I can engage as many of you as possible, to get as much feedback as this site will allow and with this, try to put together a plan to make things happen at an Australia wide level for the better – if that is what the feedback shows. To do this I aim to ask five fairly simple, yet thought provoking questions and ask you PLEASE to respond. I will try for one a week but it may stretch out depending on feedback. The more that respond the better the big picture becomes. If you can get family, friends and neighbours who support your right to enjoy reptiles to participate even better!
Question 1 of 5:
The Bearded dragon is one of the most kept reptile pets on the planet. There are people in The USA and Germany breeding many hundreds of thousands for sale each year. In Australia there are dedicated bearded dragon breeders that supply many thousands of bearded dragons for the Aussie market. In the wild they are found over most of the mainland continent in one form or another and are generally very common. I would go so far as to say that Bearded Dragons are more numerous in captivity than budgies. However, each state has a different policy on the keeping of this animal. You are forced to ensure the authorities have a complete record of your bearded dragon, but no one is sure why, nor do you or I have the capacity to question this rule. If, as there appears to be, no underlying conservational reason, nor any accounting or accountability reason for these policies by the various states and territories, then do we need a permit to keep Bearded Dragons?
Thanks heaps for your response
Gavin Bedford July 2013
I recently wrote an article about the Oenpelli python project I have been working on for a decade and it is in the current Scales and Tails Magazine (Issue 30 – July 2013).
At the end of that article I mentioned the idea that we - as a very large collective of people interested in Reptiles - should have a national representative body that looks after our interests regarding reptiles. That is a tough ask, because any group of reptile people will have very different views on what is good and bad for the hobby, or even for a particular reptile.
I am particularly interested in us all having a say in areas such as:
1. The way that we deal as a group with the wildlife authorities, such that we are consulted and have fair input into decisions that will impact us at both state and national level.
2. Input into the review of state and territories licensing systems to make things easier for keepers and for the authorities.
3. Review the reasons that some states have restrictions on many common reptiles and try to promote logical input from us to facilitate flexibility in their views.
4. Changes in the current ‘lock it up’ mentality that will allow us to make an important contribution to the conservation of Australian reptiles.
Changes that will better align us with the pet industry for mutual benefit.
5. Highlight the skills we have in keeping many common reptile species that can be transferred to other projects and critters.
I would like to think the reptile hobby is mature enough to have a parent group that has the capacity and public support to represent our needs, whether it is at a local grass roots level or in Canberra. There are hundreds of thousands of reptile keeper’s in Australia at the moment and that number is still growing at a great rate. If we are united by a desire to make our hobby better, I believe we can be a strong lobby group. If we, as a coherent group, are able to present a united front on issues - then we can forcefully tackle issues that currently just don’t make sense. At present we are subject to a position of subservience and must accept almost without question the laws, policies and direction we are faced with by authorities.
Without getting too wordy, I am hoping that I can engage as many of you as possible, to get as much feedback as this site will allow and with this, try to put together a plan to make things happen at an Australia wide level for the better – if that is what the feedback shows. To do this I aim to ask five fairly simple, yet thought provoking questions and ask you PLEASE to respond. I will try for one a week but it may stretch out depending on feedback. The more that respond the better the big picture becomes. If you can get family, friends and neighbours who support your right to enjoy reptiles to participate even better!
Question 1 of 5:
The Bearded dragon is one of the most kept reptile pets on the planet. There are people in The USA and Germany breeding many hundreds of thousands for sale each year. In Australia there are dedicated bearded dragon breeders that supply many thousands of bearded dragons for the Aussie market. In the wild they are found over most of the mainland continent in one form or another and are generally very common. I would go so far as to say that Bearded Dragons are more numerous in captivity than budgies. However, each state has a different policy on the keeping of this animal. You are forced to ensure the authorities have a complete record of your bearded dragon, but no one is sure why, nor do you or I have the capacity to question this rule. If, as there appears to be, no underlying conservational reason, nor any accounting or accountability reason for these policies by the various states and territories, then do we need a permit to keep Bearded Dragons?
Thanks heaps for your response
Gavin Bedford July 2013
....................................Ron
