Just to add...
For the most part, these very same "laws" already exists. All it's basically doing is redistributing which government agencies are responsible for enforcing the regulations AND estabilishing guidelines for stricter records regarding importations. Currently, there are very few government agencies that control animal importation--the CDC & US Fish & Wildlife Svcs. Basically, the only restrictions are against 1) animals that carry disease and 2) any marine animal deemed harmful to the environment. Thats it...pretty minimal, and NOT in a good way! The act basically is calling for the inclusion of other, more distinct agencies in the process--Ivasive Species Council, Dept of Agriculture, etc. In short, agencies that have a more distinct expertise in the area that should have been invovled from the very beginning.
This act is not a "bad" thing...and it's certainly not something that's ultimately going to restrict you from owning your pets....unless maybe your pets consist of venomous snakes or bizarro unknowns. |