"Swamp Things," a fascinating article by BurkhardBilger in the April 20 issue of The New Yorker, describes how theexotic pet industry has helped transform the state of Florida into "abiological cesspool of introduced life." As fads of exotic birds, reptiles, andprimates have come and gone, nonnative species have established themselvesin the wild -- transported by hurricanes or deliberately set loose by theirowners. As Bilger explains:
On a single tree you couldconceivably find plants and animals from six continents, including parrots fromSouth America, mynah birds and Old World climbing ferns from Asia, vervetmonkeys from Africa, ladybird beetles from Australia, and feral cats fromEurope, via Africa and Asia...The state's ecology is a kind of urban legend cometrue -- the old alligator-flushed-down-the-toilet story repeated a thousand timeswith a thousand species.
There have been well-known cases of exotic species thatshould never have been introduced in the U.S. -- whether they are the zebramussels, the snakehead fish, or the Gambian rats that caused the 2003multistate monkeypox outbreak. But the biggest problem for Florida is the newpopulation of Burmese pythons living in the Everglades. These former "pets" cangrow more than 20 feet long, weigh 200 pounds, and swallow an entire leopard.
Such ecological invasions can be prevented by a new billbeing considered in Congress. The House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceansand Wildlife today held a hearing on H.R. 669,the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act. Introduced by SubcommitteeChairwoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), a great friend to animals, the billwould set up a process for evaluating exotic wildlife species to determinewhether they should be allowed or prohibited for importation and interstatecommerce. The legislation is endorsed by The Humane Society of the UnitedStates, Humane Society Legislative Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, NationalAudubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Union of Concerned Scientists, and anumber of other conservation and animal protection groups.
Some pet industry groups are yelping and howling over theproposal, claiming it will end all pet ownership. We hear this rhetoric all thetime from our opponents who can't defend inhumane practices on their merits, sothey concoct some "slippery slope" justifications -- they say that curbing abusesat puppy mills will end all dog breeding, that phasing out confinement of farmanimals in crates and cages will end all agriculture, that toughening theanti-cockfighting laws will eliminate the right to own roosters. But they're barkingup the wrong tree.
First, the bill is aimed at exotic wildlife, not domestichousehold pets. It includes a specific exemption for cats, dogs, rabbits,goldfish, and horses. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is allowed to addmore exempted species as it sees fit. The HSUS and HSLF are specificallyrequesting that hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and ferrets be added to theexempted list.
Second, the legislation wouldn't ban any species immediatelyupon passage. It allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to start a process,based on scientific information with public input, to determine whether anexotic wildlife species is harmful or not. During that process, which will takethree years, there would be no restrictions on trade. If a species is thendetermined to be harmful, it would be added to the prohibited list.
Third, the bill grandfathers in any current exotic pets. Soif a wildlife species is determined to be harmful and banned in the future, itwould halt imports and interstate trade from that point forward. People whoalready own those animals would not have them taken away.
As Chairwoman Bordallo said, this morning's hearing "should be seen as a starting point for a very important discussion. How can we proactively manage the influx of invasive species and reduce the economic and environmental costs associated with their establishment in the wild, but also be sensitive to legitimate concerns regarding the species that would be affected and realistic about the practicalities of implementation."
The fact is, this is a common-sense reform that takes a proactiveapproach. Hundreds of millions of wild animals are arriving in the U.S. at an alarming pace throughMiami, Los Angeles, and other points of entry. By the time invasive speciesestablish themselves here, it's often too late to do anything about theproblems -- and attempts at doing so, even while tilting at windmills, are costlyand inhumane. Preventing wild animals from entering this country in the firstplace, if they are determined to be dangerous, is better for the environment,the economy, public health, and animal welfare.
Contact yourmembers of Congress and ask them to support H.R. 669. Tell them when itcomes to nonnative wildlife, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.