Important US 2022 Salamander Ban Legislation is happening

[John]

Update Friday Feb 4th 2022: US members: The America Competes Bill passed the House today. It now moves to the Senate. This marks the beginning of the end of all exotic animal hobbies in the US if it also passes in the Senate. Please contact your senators immediately - read more here: America COMPETES Act of 2022 | USARK - United States Association of Reptile Keepers

Original Post below:
The Lacey Act amendment that was in committee last year has gone to Congress now as part of the "America Competes" bill. It changes the Lacey Act such that any animal species that the USFWS chooses to list as injurious is automatically banned from interstate transport. It will also allow them to effectively ban whatever they want with no oversight.

Currently, 200+ salamander species (that includes 95% of all commonly kept pet species) and some snakes are already listed as injurious. If this bill passes then it immediately ~ends our hobby short of axolotls and tiger salamanders. As frogs can carry Bsal (the reason those salamanders are already listed as injurious), you can be sure they will be added to the list and that will end much of that hobby. And then who knows what's next? Well there's also the "Whitelist" part of the amendment: anything other than dogs, cats and farm animals will be considered injurious unless it's expressly listed as safe.

Please read this USARK page linked below this paragraph and write to your congress people and senators. You can read how to do this and get some templates here.

ALERT: America COMPETES Act of 2022 Lacey Act Amendments | USARK - United States Association of Reptile Keepers

usark.org

 

[John]

The America Competes bill was originally meant to prevent the shortage of microchips and technology caused by the pandemic from hurting the US again. For some crazy reason Nancy Pelosi's office has decided to add this Lacey Act injurious wildlife Whitelist legislation into the America Competes bill. Here are 2 quotes from Representative Bruce Westerman – Arkansas:

"This legislation makes several amendments to the Lacey Act. Amendments that were snuck in without so much as a hearing in the Natural Resources Committee, likely because Democrats knew the provisions would not stand a chance if they were vetted through regular order and the legislative process. The provisions give blanket authority to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to determine what is an injurious species without any requirement for public input, advanced notice, or comment, dramatically expands Fish and Wildlife Services authority to regulate movement of injurious wildlife within the United States, and makes wildlife importers guilty until proven innocent by requiring imported species to appear on a Fish and Wildlife Service white list or have it treated as injurious by default. These provisions will be detrimental to American industries such as aquaculture which are already highly regulated businesses." - Representative Bruce Westerman – Arkansas

"This bill gives supreme unilateral authority to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what species can be imported into the U.S. This so-called white list mandated in the bill, it’s virtually impossible to implement and will effectively shut down aquaculture and similar industries who need trade to conduct business. The weaponization of the Lacey Act will only empower bureaucrats and ignores the current state-based approach on species imports. It’s legislative laziness since there have no hearings or even an introduced bill on this topic. What in the world does that have do with winning against China?" - Representative Bruce Westerman – Arkansas

 

[axolotl nerd]

The America Competes bill was originally meant to prevent the shortage of microchips and technology caused by the pandemic from hurting the US again. For some crazy reason Nancy Pelosi's office has decided to add this Lacey Act injurious wildlife Whitelist legislation into the America Competes bill. Here are 2 quotes from Representative Bruce Westerman – Arkansas:

bear in mind ive hardly read about this topic (as in a few minutes ago, anyways) but what exactly does this mean? does this bill make it so that there will be no more transportation of animals between states? if so, i could see this destroying the pet industry and breeders all across the US. are there any other harms to this plan? i’m very interested, and obviously concerned

 

[John]

bear in mind ive hardly read about this topic (as in a few minutes ago, anyways) but what exactly does this mean? does this bill make it so that there will be no more transportation of animals between states? if so, i could see this destroying the pet industry and breeders all across the US. are there any other harms to this plan? i’m very interested, and obviously concerned

Read the link at the bottom of the first message.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Read the link at the bottom of the first message.

will do, thanks!

 

[axolotl nerd]

this is actually terrible what? writing a letter ASAP.

 

[Captive Bread]

Why does everyone try to ruin my hobby?

 

[axolotl nerd]

I have never written a letter to my rep before. How do I write mine in regards to the salamander hobby with interest in making sure that son of a bitch doesn't pass?

i looked through the forums posted under this section, in which there are letter formats given. i intend to write my own letter, and maybe use the base letters as a guide or reference

 

[Captive Bread]

i looked through the forums posted under this section, in which there are letter formats given. i intend to write my own letter, and maybe use the base letters as a guide or reference

Yeah I saw that after I posted and felt stupid. I am getting to work on this.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Yeah I saw that after I posted and felt stupid. I am getting to work on this.

don’t feel dumb, it was simply a lack of knowing, not your fault. i’m also beginning to write my letter

 

[John]

Updated first post about it passing today in the House of Representatives.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Updated first post about it passing today in the House of Representatives.

i wish i could think this was just a joke :/

 

[MangoAxolotl]

What does this mean? are we going to lose our rights to keep salamanders and fish?

 

[axolotl nerd]

What does this mean? are we going to lose our rights to keep salamanders and fish?

lol basically

edit: it actually prevents certain species from being transported over state lines

 

[MangoAxolotl]

is this law good?

 

[Spekletheaxolotl]

is this law good?

hi me

 

[John]

is this law good?

Not the Lacey part or the whitelist part. Nothing to do with America Competes at all.

 

[MangoAxolotl]

Not the Lacey part or the whitelist part. Nothing to do with America Competes at all.

Ah, okay. i was kind of confused when you mentioned that it was protecting species from being wild caught. i thought this was a good law because we cant catch salamanders from the wild anymore. Am i incorrect? I get captive bred animals, so im just plain out confused. Also, what whitelist part or lacey part? What does this mean for the hobby?

 

[John]

Ah, okay. i was kind of confused when you mentioned that it was protecting species from being wild caught. i thought this was a good law because we cant catch salamanders from the wild anymore. Am i incorrect? I get captive bred animals, so im just plain out confused. Also, what whitelist part or lacey part? What does this mean for the hobby?

No offense, but click the usark link and please read what it says.

 

[MangoAxolotl]

lol basically

edit: it actually prevents certain species from being transported over state lines

Isnt that good? Like if they carry a disease and they go over state lines, then cant it spread heavily?