House Bill Hr 669

[RCampbell]

A very disturbing bill has been launched into the process on capital hill gang..

[URL="http/www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-669"]http/www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-669[/URL]

It has been ignored by many animal enthusiasts because cursery glances appear that it only deals with reptile keepers.

It affects EVERYONE and will DESTROY tropical fish keeping completely. Taken directly form the bill itself:

(5) NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES- The term ‘nonnative wildlife species’--

(A) except as provided in subparagraph ©, means any live species or subspecies of animal that is not a native species or subspecies, whether or not born or raised in captivity;

(B) except as provided in subparagraph ©, includes--

(i) any such live, wild species or subspecies of mammal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, insect, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, coelenterate, or other invertebrate, and

(ii) any viable egg, sperm, gamete, or other reproductive material or offspring thereof;



Make your voices heard to your representatives...and HURRY, it goes before subcommitteee in DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Zekumi]

I was wondering when someone would bring that up here.

I'm not sure what to think ...?
I suppose I'd better do my part regardless to voice my opposition.

It's just so absurd, is all, that I'm not sure of it's realistic threat.

 

[AdAndrews]

is it for the us and the uk, or just the us?

 

[Liam50]

is it for the us and the uk, or just the us?

i assume US but knowing the UK we usually follow the americans.

 

[Truck]

is it for the us and the uk, or just the us?

i assume US but knowing the UK we usually follow the americans.

its for the US only, if this is to go ahead, can you imagine the corals we will be getting! not to mention fish, but i am for and against it, it will ruin things for a massive percentage of fishkeepers, it will ruin this forum anyway, because americans wont post anymore. but look at natuve populations of fish in america being destroyed by no native species

 

[saltynay]

Wow first post is a campaign war sounds like spam to me and I never sign a petition unless I am 100% sure I agree with it - http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw

 

[AdAndrews]

is it for the us and the uk, or just the us?

i assume US but knowing the UK we usually follow the americans.

lol tell me about it, stupid government, why follow the yanks, practically the worst out the lot

 

[tenohfive]

Hang on a second...I've read a couple of pages so far, and this is a risk assessment bill. So everything thats currently imported will be risk assessed to see if it could have a negative impact. I'm sure a few fish fall under that category, but not all.

And worst comes to worst - what happens? Prices go up, and a few enterprising breeders make themselves a tidy profit.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Hang on a second...I've read a couple of pages so far, and this is a risk assessment bill. So everything thats currently imported will be risk assessed to see if it could have a negative impact. I'm sure a few fish fall under that category, but not all.

And worst comes to worst - what happens? Prices go up, and a few enterprising breeders make themselves a tidy profit.

And thousands of people will lose their jobs.

That is the last thing that we want right now in the state this economy is.

Wow first post is a campaign war sounds like spam to me and I never sign a petition unless I am 100% sure I agree with it - http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw

This was funny, people didn't know what H2O was...lol.

I guess it is not common to all, that some people just dont know what they are signing for, but just follow the crowd.

By the way....

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=280520

-FHM

 

[ziouxpioux]

Hang on a second...I've read a couple of pages so far, and this is a risk assessment bill. So everything thats currently imported will be risk assessed to see if it could have a negative impact. I'm sure a few fish fall under that category, but not all.

And worst comes to worst - what happens? Prices go up, and a few enterprising breeders make themselves a tidy profit.

And thousands of people will lose their jobs.

That is the last thing that we want right now in the state this economy is.

Wow first post is a campaign war sounds like spam to me and I never sign a petition unless I am 100% sure I agree with it - [URL="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw"]http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw[/URL]

This was funny, people didn't know what H2O was...lol.

I guess it is not common to all, that some people just dont know what they are signing for, but just follow the crowd.

By the way....

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=280520"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=280520[/URL]

-FHM

This bill is a real threat to the freedoms of people everywhere who keep animals, fin-fur or what have you. A person does not have to sign the bill as is, there is the option to edit the letter and the beliefs. It is not spam, and I appreciate the fact that the monitors are letting this stay on the forum. Please all, go sign the petition and edit the letter to fit your own beliefs. Thankyou Karen Campbell

PS foreigh fish are not that big of problem in the American waters, except where game and fish agencies have introduced varieties to control others and the introduced one taking over the lakes. The hobbyist have not caused that much of a problem. Most waters here are to cold to support tropical water fish. Our big problem is in Southern Florida in and around the Everglades caused by people turning loose pythons that have gotten to big. Florida has addressed that problem by requiring all snakes capible of reaching certain sizes to have an I.D. chip inserted that contains the owners name and to have permits for the ownership of such large snakes. SO, what I am saying is the ownership of certain species should be state controlled, not a wham bam thankyou mam for everyone. Karen Campbell

 

[Nick16]

is it for the us and the uk, or just the us?

i assume US but knowing the UK we usually follow the americans.

lol tell me about it, stupid government, why follow the yanks, practically the worst out the lot

can you please stop making stupid comments, there was some on another thread that got closed. perhaps thinking before you type.


anyway, im sceptical about 'the bill' im not sure what impact it will have if any. i think they should just inforce the law and make it harder to dump unnative species into the water ways. I know the US is having massive problems with snakeheads at the moment.

 

[tenohfive]

im sceptical about 'the bill' im not sure what impact it will have if any. i think they should just inforce the law and make it harder to dump unnative species into the water ways. I know the US is having massive problems with snakeheads at the moment.

Someone talking my language. Where in that bill does it say its going to stop the importation of all tropical fish?

Please quote the bill in response, because I couldn't see it. I saw something saying that a list would be drawn up of approved species - which will be everything that doesn't pose a threat to the US.

Please, correct me if I'm wrong - and point me to where it says I'm wrong.

 

[Nick16]

i havent read it i must admit but surely if you want to keep predatorial fish just make sure the fish is tagged or something so that if it is found dumped in a water way, dead or alive, it can be traced back to an owner. it may be hard to implement but a system similar to that has to be approved. perhaps registering, so the gvmt can keep a track of who is keeping what.

 

[RCampbell]

It is always disturbing how many people make assumtions, and do not read the bills brought before any legislative entity...


If passed as written.....(following taken from the bill directly)

(a) Prohibitions- Except as provided in this section or in section 7, it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to--

(1) import into or export from the United States any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4;

(2) transport between any State by any means whatsoever any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4;

(3) violate any term or condition of a permit issued under section 7;

(4) possess (except as provided in section 3(f)), sell or offer to sell, purchase or offer to purchase, or barter for or offer to barter for, any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1);

(5) release into the wild any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1); or

(6) breed any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1), or provide any such species to another person for breeding purposes.


Everyone keeps saying that it isn't a big deal as there will be an approved list of species.....WHEN? In the wording of the bill they give themselves 36 months to make an approved list....and in that 36 month time frame ...EVERYTHING, YES, EVERYTHING not on this list: (again taken from the bill):
(D) does not include any cat (Felis catus), cattle or oxen (Bos taurus), chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), dog (Canis lupus familiaris), donkey or ###### (Equus asinus), domesticated members of the family Anatidae (geese), duck (domesticated Anas spp.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), horse (Equus caballus), llama (Lama glama), mule or hinny (Equus caballus x E. asinus), pig or hog (Sus scrofa domestica), domesticated varieties of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), or sheep (Ovis aries), or any other species or variety of species that is determined by the Secretary to be common and clearly domesticated.



would be ILLEGAL for any type of transaction. The animals previously held could only be held where they currently were, could not be bred, could not be given away, sold, traded..etc...

It also does away with any postal shipping of ANYTHING...no more postal service for fish eggs, or fish... (again taken from the bill) :

SEC. 9. TREATMENT OF NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES AS NONMAILABLE MATTER.

Nonnative wildlife species included in the list of approved species issued under section 4 shall be considered and treated as nonmailable matter under section 3015 of title 39, United States Code.

It also sets up yet another account of our tax dollars to be used against us...:
SEC. 8. FEES.

(a) Fee for Proposal To Include Species in List-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish in the regulations under section 3, and collect, a fee from any person that after publication of the final preliminary list under section 4(b) submits to the Secretary--

(A) a proposal under section 4© to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of approved species under section 4; or

(B) a proposal under section 5(b) to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of unapproved species under section 5.

(2) PURPOSE- The fee shall be to recover costs of assessing risk of nonnative wildlife species under the regulations issued under section 3.

(b) Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund-

(1) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund.

(2) CONTENTS- There shall be deposited into the account all amounts received by the United States as fees under this section or as fines for violations of this Act and its implementing regulations.

(3) USE- Amounts in the account shall be available to the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, for the purposes of implementing this Act.




Bottom line guys and gals is yes, this is the US...BUT will obviously have dire global consequences in any animal market.

This is not the first time it has been tried to be passed..but this current version was the best most sneakily written yet....and animal "rights" organizations who are well funded are the one s lobbying this through slite of hand and misdirection....


If you sell fish...amphibians, invertebrates...YOU have a VESTED interest in making sure your rights and privelages are protected....

 

[tenohfive]

I don't see any reason why most flavours of tropical fish would be banned, especially given that you're not the only person to know that theres a considerable amount of money in the livestock industry - you think the people who collect tax on those sales might know that its worth a fair few dollars to them? You're running on the assumption that they will all get banned. I'm running on the assumption that they won't all get banned. What will actually happen remains to be seen.