WA State Government proposes new rules to allow reptiles as pets

[Guest guest]

Government of Western Australia

Media Statement

The Hon. Judy Edwards MLA

Minister for the Environment and Heritage

 

Statement Released: 20-Sep-2002

Portfolio: Environment and Heritage

 

WA State Government proposes new rules to allow reptiles as pets

 

 

20/9/02

 

The State Government today announced new regulations were being introduced

under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 allowing the keeping of reptiles

and amphibians as pets in Western Australia.

 

Environment and Heritage Minister Dr Judy Edwards said the new Wildlife

Conservation (Reptiles and Amphibians) Regulations would provide the

framework for a licensing system to keep native reptiles and amphibians as

pets (Pet Herpetofauna) under strict controls managed by the Department of

Conservation and Land Management.

 

" Currently WA is the only State that does not have a licensing system in

place for the keeping of reptiles and amphibians as pets, " Dr Edwards said.

 

" For the first time, people will be lawfully permitted to keep such pets,

however under strong controls, which ensure responsible ownership.

 

" The licensing system will be based on specified licence categories and

limited to a list of species prepared by the department, in association with

the WA Society of Amateur Herpetologists and reptile keeping specialists

from throughout Australia. "

 

The Minister said a public comment period regarding the proposal had also

been conducted, with the majority of submissions supporting the changes.

 

" The regulations will be published in the Government Gazette next Tuesday,

with an approved reptile species keeping list released in a few weeks, at

which time the licensing system for the private keeping of pet reptiles

could start, " she said.

 

Dr Edwards said species on the list included the western green and golden

bell frog (motorbike frog), western bearded dragon, western bluetongue

lizard, bobtail lizard, Stimson's python and South-West carpet python.

 

" While there will be very few animals available initially for keeping,

numbers will increase over time through licensed sources, " she said.

 

" However, people need to be very aware that it is illegal to take reptiles

and amphibians from the wild to keep as pets and that persons attempting to

illegally keep these animals will be prosecuted. "

 

The Minister said there would be five categories of pet herpetofauna keeping

with licence conditions covering housing, security, welfare and trade.

 

" Given the special qualities of reptiles and amphibians, any keeping system

needs to adequately control who may keep and breed which species and under

what special conditions, " she said.

 

" Licences will be issued with special provisions for activities such as

dealing, trade, breeding and wild harvest and will take into consideration

keeper experience, pet habitat and the age of applicants.

 

" The regulations also provide for the imposition of special conditions on

the breeding for sale of pet reptiles and amphibians, as well as special

security conditions on licences for keeping dangerous species.

 

" Only people over 18 years of age, with suitable experience and facilities,

will be eligible to keep dangerous snakes as pets.

 

" Crocodiles and marine turtles, which are classified as reptiles, are

excluded from the regulations and will not be eligible to be kept as pets. "

 

The Regulations provide for the following licence categories:

 

Category 1 - (Exempt from licensing) easiest and safest to keep reptiles and

amphibians. (This category will not be used initially, but may be used in

the future once there is a ready availability of reptiles in the pet trade

that may be suitable for unlicensed keeping, as currently occurs with birds

such as budgies);

Category 2 - Basic Keeping Licence, for the easy to keep and common reptiles

and amphibians;

Category 3 - Standard Keeping Licence, for the slightly more difficult to

keep reptiles and amphibians

Category 4 - Advanced Keeping Licence for the difficult to keep reptiles and

amphibians; and

Category 5 - Expert Keeping Licence for the very difficult to keep and

dangerous (highly venomous) reptiles and amphibians. This includes special

restrictions on housing, handling and exposure of other persons to dangerous

reptiles and amphibians.

Dr Edwards said the licensing system would operate on a fee schedule, with

higher fees for higher species categories. Full details of the operation of

the licensing system would be made available over the coming months.

 

" The system will be managed by the Department's Wildlife Branch and operate

on a similar basis to avian fauna licensing, "

she said.

 

Minister's office: (08) 9220 5050

 

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