Why would the herp society ask for these animals to be taken of the collection list? What sort of impact do the collected animals cause? Compared to feral cats or even illegal collecting if they were to stop pure 100% locality specific animal being available? Wouldn't it be better to allow these animals to be legally collected in controlled numbers and have the dept receive the royalties to help with other problems?
- - - Updated - - -
I would even question the impact of illegal collection compared to the direct impact of feral cats, foxes and cane toads and even indirectly from all the other feral pests.
There is no comparison between wild collection and environmental degradation through feral animals and mining etc
BUT
Wild collection takes the best stock because hobbyists want the best
Continually removing the best genetics from any gene pool can destroy the future breeding capabilities of any species
Australia is a big chunk of dirt
But in many ways it just like a group of small islands
All over Aus are isolated communities of various species
Those locales are ones where the prime 'pet' stock comes from
They are also the areas most liable to suffer from over harvesting
IMO there is only one way to stop illegal collecting and exotic smuggling
Make it an automatic 5 yr prison sentence with full right of appeal
That way anybody caught has to talk their way out of jail rather than just say
"Sorry... ok give me a fine and say Im a naughty boy" while they plan their next trip
Laws regarding wildlife in Aus are antiquated especially in WA
But they have been working up to a point
When you come to places like Asia and Africa and watch entire regions get stripped of wildlife to supply the pet trade it really makes you start questioning things
Systems like what is being done with oenpellis can work
They may help save other species from wild extinction too
They are probably the future of wild harvesting in Aus
Pilbarensis
Check out phascogales/wambengers
Awesome little critters
Never heard of them in the pet trade