Bears, turtles, iguanas and more
September 19th, 2008 by admin
This week, an ARFF representative attended the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting in Jacksonville. FWC meetings can be exhausting and usually last all day, but we try to make it to each meeting to speak in defense of Florida wildlife, and we always learn something.
On Wednesday, commissioners heard a report about the health of the Florida black bear (there are approx. 2,500 bears in Florida). Although conflicts are increasing between bears and people who build homes in bear habitat, the complaints are mostly about bears raiding garbage cans and bird feeders. Predictably, hunters at the meeting pleaded to be allowed to kill bears again (Florida’s bear hunt was halted in 1994).
The commission also discussed what they should do to protect Florida’s freshwater turtles in response to a growing demand for turtle flesh from markets in Asia. Fishermen sell live turtles to dealers who ship the animals overseas. Currently, there are almost no restrictions on the collection of turtles in Florida. Several fishermen spoke at the meeting. We learned about trotlines, long cords with dozens of fish hooks dangling from them, that are used to catch turtles. One fisherman said that on a “good” day he’d catch 1,000 pounds of turtles! The commission also heard from turtle biologists who said that too many turtles are being killed in Florida. Jen Hobgood from the Humane Society of the United States asked for an immediate halt to the commercial trade and spoke about the suffering of turtles caught on trotlines. Turtles often die by drowning after being hooked. The commission decided to limit commercial fishermen to 20 soft-shell turtles per day, until more study can be done (the FWC has no idea how many turtles are killed each year in Florida).
When it was our turn to speak, we expressed support of proposals to strengthen Florida’s captive wildlife regulations, and in particular a proposed definition of “sanctuaries.” Under the definition, FWC-recognized sanctuaries would be prohibited from breeding, selling, trading or exhibiting animals. To our surprise the proposed ban on the breeding and selling of animals was not a problem for attendees (several so-called “sanctuaries” in Florida continue to irresponsibly breed exotic animals). Instead, the proposed ban on the exhibition of animals at sanctuaries generated the most discussion. Several speakers argued that animals in captivity act as “ambassadors” and that children need to meet animals to care about them. We strongly disagree. At reputable sanctuaries, the welfare of each individual animal is the primary consideration. Transporting wild animals to schools, fairs and other public events, and keeping animals constantly on exhibit, is stressful to the animals. The proposed definition does need some re-writing to prevent potentional abuses, but we hope that a final rule will be adopted that helps to separate responsible sanctuaries in Florida from those facilities that are “sanctuaries” in name only.
During our time before the commission, we also made sure that commissioners were aware that residents and local governments across south Florida are increasingly concerned about wild iguanas, and that a growing number of cities and counties have passed resolutions urging the FWC to take steps to control the sale and possession of iguanas.
Future FWC meetings will be held in Key West, Destin, Tallahassee and Crystal River. If you live near one of these cities, please consider attending and speaking-up for animals.