Rooney: Administration’s “Half-Measure” Won’t Protect Florida from Dangerous Imported Snakes
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16) today slammed the Obama Administration for announcing that it will ban the importation and interstate transport of just four species of constrictor snakes, even though the U.S. Geological Service found that nine species present a threat to Florida’s environment. Rooney introduced a bill in January to ban all nine species from being imported into the United States.
“The half-measure announced by the Obama Administration today will not do nearly enough to protect the Everglades and the surrounding ecosystems,” Rooney said. “There are nine species of invasive predators that pose a severe threat to our native wildlife, and all nine need to be eradicated.”
The Administration announced today that it will ban the Burmese python, yellow anaconda, and northern and southern African pythons. These four species make up just 30 percent of the trade of giant snakes. Boa constrictors and reticulated pythons are traded in the greatest numbers, but are not included in the Administration’s final rule.
Rooney’s bill would add the following species of snakes to the “Lacey Act,” effectively banning them from importation into the United States: Burmese python, northern African python, southern African python, reticulated python, green anaconda, yellow anaconda, Beni or Bolivian python, DeSchauensee’s anaconda, and boa constrictor.
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