Re: [GSAS-Member] FW: Letter From APPA President Regarding Bill HR 669

[Matt Staroscik <matt@wrongcrowd.com>]

On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 1:46 PM, matt kaufman <igotadose@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> HR 669 is the end of the aquarium hobby as we know it. Activism, at least
> as far as writing letters to your congresspersons, is called for.
> Congressman Doc Hastings is on the subcommittee that's involved with this
> resolution.
>
> The club should consider putting up a statement alerting people to the
> hazards of HR 669
>

Everyone in the club should do some letters or phone calls. It's grim!

I sent this letter in yesterday, anyone is welcome to pinch it and make it
their own.

MS

---

I am writing to you today to ask you to NOT support HR 669, the "Nonnative
Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act," should it make it out of committee.

As you know, if passed into law, this would by default deny entry into the
country of all non-native species until a study was done to determine if the
species would cause harm to the environment. Even maintaining existing
captive populations would become illegal.

I and many other ordinary Americans would have personal liberties that we
currently safely enjoy curtailed by this bill. If every fish in my tropical
aquarium needs Federal approval to be imported or bred domestically, it’s
easy to forecast that those approvals will not come quickly no matter how
innocent the species is.

This would destroy many pet-related hobbies, and devastate the pet industry
in a time of existing economic turmoil. Countless “mom & pop” pet stores
would be put out of business when harmless species of fish, reptiles, birds,
and small mammals that have been sold here for decades become unavailable.

Before a bill like this makes sense, it must be demonstrated that there are
very real, specific, and serious problems that it will solve. That does not
seem to be the case here. Yes, there are some non-native species that have
taken a foothold in the America. That is regrettable, but will this bill put
the genie back in the bottle? Will it really help us in the future more than
it hurts individuals and industries now? What specific problems have been
caused by the aquarium or exotic pet trades in the past? There are few items
to point to.

The requirements that I be able to prove that any unapproved animals I own
were legally owned before the bill passed is poorly written. What
constitutes proof? How can I prove a fish or pet was legally bred by me
years ago?

An interesting side effect of this bill, if passed, may be the unexpected
extinction of some species. There are some fish in the tropical aquarium
trade that are all but extinct in the wild. It is only through the efforts
of dedicated hobbyists that these species live on at all, because of habitat
destruction in their native lands. It would be a shame to see them pushed
closer to extinction when American hobbyists are prevented from preserving
the species.

There is also an educational impact. Imagine future generations who are
exposed to no animal more exotic than a goldfish unless they visit an
expensive zoo or aquarium.

Problem species should be attacked directly, and preventative measures must
not be so burdensome. This bill casts far, far too wide a net, and is truly
appalling no matter how well-intentioned it is.

Please, if the time comes, vote in favor of freedom and common sense instead
of needlessly eroding more of our liberties.
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